Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Texas House Democrats Not Home on Range

Aired May 14, 2003 - 07:08   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Meanwhile back in this country, another story to keep a close eye on, in the state of Texas there, more than a third of that legislature holed up across the state line in Oklahoma. Fifty-one Texas Democrats are trying to kill a plan that would send five fewer Democrats to Washington. It is not possible to get a quorum in Austin, Texas, while the legislators are staying at a hotel in Ardmore, Oklahoma.
They say the plan to draw new districts is the work of U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, a Texas Republican and House majority leader.

Jeff Crilley of KDFW now reports from the state of Texas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we have a message for Tom DeLay: Don't mess with Texas.

JEFF CRILLEY, KDFW-TV REPORTER (voice-over): They stood united, 51 Democratic lawmakers who say they made one of the toughest choices of their political careers, but they say staying in Austin wasn't an option.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those of us here will not be an accomplice to a partisan, heavy-handed, gerrymandered, Washington, D.C. play on congressional maps.

CRILLEY: As long as they're huddled in this Ardmore Holiday Inn, any effort to redistrict Texas again is impossible, and the long arm of the Texas law doesn't reach to Ardmore.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a team of lawyers from Oklahoma who are here to assist us in case the state of Texas attempts any type of extradition.

CRILLEY: The sheriff here says he has no plans to act on any warrants for their arrests.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I'm not arresting legislators and taking them to jail, no.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't mess with Texas. Don't mess with our country.

CRILLEY: It's a Red River shootout that rivals anything seen on a football field.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're proud Texans.

CRILLEY: A historic game of political chicken, and neither side appears ready to blink.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Again, Jeff Crilley, a reporter there in Texas. It's not the first time it's happened there. Back in 1979, 12 state senators hid out for several days to try and block changes to the state's presidential primaries.

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 14, 2003 - 07:08   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Meanwhile back in this country, another story to keep a close eye on, in the state of Texas there, more than a third of that legislature holed up across the state line in Oklahoma. Fifty-one Texas Democrats are trying to kill a plan that would send five fewer Democrats to Washington. It is not possible to get a quorum in Austin, Texas, while the legislators are staying at a hotel in Ardmore, Oklahoma.
They say the plan to draw new districts is the work of U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, a Texas Republican and House majority leader.

Jeff Crilley of KDFW now reports from the state of Texas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we have a message for Tom DeLay: Don't mess with Texas.

JEFF CRILLEY, KDFW-TV REPORTER (voice-over): They stood united, 51 Democratic lawmakers who say they made one of the toughest choices of their political careers, but they say staying in Austin wasn't an option.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those of us here will not be an accomplice to a partisan, heavy-handed, gerrymandered, Washington, D.C. play on congressional maps.

CRILLEY: As long as they're huddled in this Ardmore Holiday Inn, any effort to redistrict Texas again is impossible, and the long arm of the Texas law doesn't reach to Ardmore.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a team of lawyers from Oklahoma who are here to assist us in case the state of Texas attempts any type of extradition.

CRILLEY: The sheriff here says he has no plans to act on any warrants for their arrests.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I'm not arresting legislators and taking them to jail, no.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't mess with Texas. Don't mess with our country.

CRILLEY: It's a Red River shootout that rivals anything seen on a football field.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're proud Texans.

CRILLEY: A historic game of political chicken, and neither side appears ready to blink.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Again, Jeff Crilley, a reporter there in Texas. It's not the first time it's happened there. Back in 1979, 12 state senators hid out for several days to try and block changes to the state's presidential primaries.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.