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CNN Live Today
Lone Star Showdown Over
Aired May 16, 2003 - 10:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: A Lone Star showdown is over now. The lawmakers who had been out on the lam for four days are back in the state capital now. The Texas Democrats returned from their little Oklahoma hideout only after their absence succeeded in killing a GOP- backed redistricting bill. That's easy to say on a Friday.
Ed Lavandera checks in now. He is standing by live in front of the Texas State Capitol.
And, Ed, what's the word there this morning?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the word is it's been one of the most interesting weeks in Texas politics in quite a while. The representatives, all 50 of them, returning to the state capital this morning, arriving by bus at 4:00 this morning. And in just a short while, most of them will be shuffling onto the Texas House floor, where they will have a prayer this morning, and then the roll call. And for first time this week, this Texas House of Representatives will be able to officially meet.
It's been a very quiet week here since all of these Democrats were hiding out in Oklahoma, trying to defeat this redistricting bill. They came out of the Texas Capitol this morning to a rousing cheer from about a couple of hundred of supporters that had turned out here at the State Capitol to welcome them home. They thanked their supporters here for their week of support, and that they're anxious to get back to business.
Now, it'll be a very interesting couple of weeks left in this session, as they do get back to business. Republicans say that because of what they have done, some 500 bills will have no chance of making it out of the Texas legislature this year, and that could cost the state of Texas anywhere between $600 and $700 million. So, there are definitely hard feelings, although no one is saying that publicly so far today, very much a tone of conciliation between both sides, Republicans and Democrats.
We spoke with the speaker of the House yesterday, who said that there will be no retribution for the Democrats who walked out on the Texas House earlier this week, and Democrats also say that they just stood behind their guns and that they had a point to make.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM DUNHAM, DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS CHAIRMAN: Government is by the people, for the people. And we had to go to Oklahoma to say that government is not for Tom DeLay. (END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: Now, the interesting part about all of this is that there still is a chance that this redistricting bill will be heard by the Texas legislature. It is possible that the governor of Texas, Rick Perry, could call a special session at some point later this year, and that this bill could come up again.
And I asked one representative, who is one of the higher-profile members throughout week here, and I asked him if they'd be willing to do this again, to walk out and head either to Oklahoma or someplace else to block this bill from getting passed again. And he said he had the feeling that this is something that you can only do just one time -- Leon.
HARRIS: OK, Ed, any idea of what the general public thinks about all of this? What do the voters in Texas say about all of this? Are they congratulating the Democrats, or are they seething like the Republicans over this, or what?
LAVANDERA: Well, it definitely depends on who ask. You know, the couple of hundred Democratic supporters that showed up here this morning definitely showing their support for these voters. But if you talk to Republican lawmakers here in Austin, they say just wait until the next election and let voters speak, and then that will really determine what most voters in Texas really thought about this entire political stunt.
HARRIS: All right, I guess we'll have to wait for that. Thanks, Ed -- Ed Lavandera in Austin, Texas this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired May 16, 2003 - 10:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: A Lone Star showdown is over now. The lawmakers who had been out on the lam for four days are back in the state capital now. The Texas Democrats returned from their little Oklahoma hideout only after their absence succeeded in killing a GOP- backed redistricting bill. That's easy to say on a Friday.
Ed Lavandera checks in now. He is standing by live in front of the Texas State Capitol.
And, Ed, what's the word there this morning?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the word is it's been one of the most interesting weeks in Texas politics in quite a while. The representatives, all 50 of them, returning to the state capital this morning, arriving by bus at 4:00 this morning. And in just a short while, most of them will be shuffling onto the Texas House floor, where they will have a prayer this morning, and then the roll call. And for first time this week, this Texas House of Representatives will be able to officially meet.
It's been a very quiet week here since all of these Democrats were hiding out in Oklahoma, trying to defeat this redistricting bill. They came out of the Texas Capitol this morning to a rousing cheer from about a couple of hundred of supporters that had turned out here at the State Capitol to welcome them home. They thanked their supporters here for their week of support, and that they're anxious to get back to business.
Now, it'll be a very interesting couple of weeks left in this session, as they do get back to business. Republicans say that because of what they have done, some 500 bills will have no chance of making it out of the Texas legislature this year, and that could cost the state of Texas anywhere between $600 and $700 million. So, there are definitely hard feelings, although no one is saying that publicly so far today, very much a tone of conciliation between both sides, Republicans and Democrats.
We spoke with the speaker of the House yesterday, who said that there will be no retribution for the Democrats who walked out on the Texas House earlier this week, and Democrats also say that they just stood behind their guns and that they had a point to make.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM DUNHAM, DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS CHAIRMAN: Government is by the people, for the people. And we had to go to Oklahoma to say that government is not for Tom DeLay. (END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: Now, the interesting part about all of this is that there still is a chance that this redistricting bill will be heard by the Texas legislature. It is possible that the governor of Texas, Rick Perry, could call a special session at some point later this year, and that this bill could come up again.
And I asked one representative, who is one of the higher-profile members throughout week here, and I asked him if they'd be willing to do this again, to walk out and head either to Oklahoma or someplace else to block this bill from getting passed again. And he said he had the feeling that this is something that you can only do just one time -- Leon.
HARRIS: OK, Ed, any idea of what the general public thinks about all of this? What do the voters in Texas say about all of this? Are they congratulating the Democrats, or are they seething like the Republicans over this, or what?
LAVANDERA: Well, it definitely depends on who ask. You know, the couple of hundred Democratic supporters that showed up here this morning definitely showing their support for these voters. But if you talk to Republican lawmakers here in Austin, they say just wait until the next election and let voters speak, and then that will really determine what most voters in Texas really thought about this entire political stunt.
HARRIS: All right, I guess we'll have to wait for that. Thanks, Ed -- Ed Lavandera in Austin, Texas this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
