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Republicans vote suspend cell parking { August 15 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/08/15/national1659EDT0721.DTLhttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/08/15/national1659EDT0721.DTL
Texas Republicans vote to suspend cell phone, parking privileges of exiled Democrats
APRIL CASTRO, Associated Press Writer
Friday, August 15, 2003
©2003 Associated Press
(08-15) 16:11 PDT AUSTIN, Texas (AP) --
With a band of Democratic lawmakers refusing to end their walkout, Republicans on Friday approved a new piece of arm-twisting: yanking the rebels' parking spaces, cell phones and other privileges.
Eleven Democratic senators have stayed at an Albuquerque, N.M., hotel since July 28, denying the Texas Senate's Republican majority the quorum it needs to consider a GOP congressional redistricting plan.
Republicans responded earlier this week by imposing fines on the traveling Democrats, starting at $1,000 for Thursday and doubling for each day missed, to a maximum of $5,000 a day, with the parking and cell phone sanctions as punishment if the fines go unpaid.
In addition, the GOP resolution approved Friday includes limiting postage to $200 a month, taking away floor passes for senators' staffers and eliminating all purchasing privileges.
"We don't want to penalize our colleagues. We want them to come back and join us here, so we can address our business," said Republican Sen. Jane Nelson. "These loss of privileges is what we all felt were defined privileges that, should senators not choose to pay their fine, could be removed without impacting their ability to continue their duty."
Democrats have said they will ignore the fines, and they dismissed the threat of further action.
"They've added measures which will make it difficult for our legislative staff back in Austin to continue to serve our constituents," said Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, chairwoman of the Senate Democratic Caucus. "It is unconscionable that these white Republicans would attempt to hurt our constituents, even while we are making our stand to defend Texas."
In the hotel conference room where they work, new signs have been posted. One says it was Day One of the "Republican poll tax" and that each Texas senator owed $1,000, and the second reads, "The Texas Senate proudly accepts:" followed by imprints of major credit cards.
Democrats outnumber Republicans 17-15 in the Texas congressional delegation but Republicans, led by U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, are pushing for a new map that likely would give the GOP the majority.
The Democrats say that would damage their minority constituents' representation in Congress.
Also on Friday, the state filed a motion with a federal court in Laredo to dismiss a lawsuit Democrats filed last week. Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst instead requested that the case be referred to the U.S. Court of Criminal Appeals for an oral hearing.
The lawsuit claims Republicans violated the federal Voting Rights Act by dropping a traditional rule requiring two-thirds of the Senate to agree to debate a bill.
©2003 Associated Press
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