Statements on Supposed Redistricting "Deal" Announced by AG Greg Abbott

by: Katherine Haenschen

Mon Feb 06, 2012 at 02:54 PM CST

Here's Abbott's statement:

AUSTIN - Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott today issued the following statement on the proposed interim redistricting maps for Texas' 2012 elections:

"The proposed maps minimize changes to the redistricting plan passed by the Legislature and, as the U. S. Supreme Court required, makes changes only where necessary. The Texas Attorney General's Office has worked with a wide range of interest groups to incorporate reasonable requests from all parties to the extent possible without compromising the will of the Texas Legislature. Even though these proposed interim maps aren't fully supported by all interest groups, modifications have been incorporated based on requests made by all parties. Today's maps should allow the court to finalize the interim redistricting maps in time to have elections in April," Attorney General Abbott said.

The proposed House and Congressional interim redistricting maps are the result of an agreement between the State of Texas and the Texas Latino Redistricting Task Force - which includes Texas LULAC, MALDEF, GI Forum, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Domingo Garcia, The Mexican American Bar Association of Texas, and La Fe Policy Research and Education Center. The proposed Congressional interim redistricting map is also supported by Congressman Henry Cuellar. Although the Mexican American Legislative Caucus (MALC), the Black Legislative Caucus and the NAACP have not agreed to support the proposed maps, those maps include modifications that address some of the primary concerns those plaintiffs raised during negotiations with the State. The proposed maps also reflect consensus among the State leadership - including Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, and Speaker Joe Straus.

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The maps suck for Democrats, and they basically return us to the partisan gerrymandered nightmare the Legislature drew in the first place. Travis County is split into 5 districts. The 25th becomes a Travis-to-Tarrant monster that was drawn to elect a Republican. Doggett is likely drawn back into the 35th, which again stretches from Austin to San Antonio. Folks on Twitter report that Pete Gallego and Ciro Rodriguez may be drawn back into a district together, the 23rd. Michael Li has links to the maps and data on their past electoral returns on his blog, www.txredistricting.org

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In various news reports, a LULAC spokesman said they were not on board. It is unclear if MALDEF is or is not on board.

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First in the in-box, Wendy Davis, with a statement that she has NOT agreed to any deal:

"There is no agreement on a Senate map.  Rather than meet the concerns of Texas voters, the Texas Attorney General continues to advance the same effort to dilute minority voting strength as we saw attempted in the 82nd  Legislative Session.  This is not a good faith effort."

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Next in the in-box, the Texas Democratic Party, who see Abbott's true political purpose here:

TDP spokesperson Rebecca Acuña released the following statement in response to the redistricting maps released by General Abbott:

"We're greatly disappointed the Attorney General did not deal in good faith with all parties involved.

For the Texas Democratic Party, any maps that do not have the consent of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, the Legislative Black Caucus, and other plaintiffs are nonstarters.

The Attorney General is clearly terrified that the DC court will find that the state's maps are discriminatory in both effect and intent. Until there's a legitimate agreement among the parties, we support the court continuing to do its work."

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Update: 2:56 p.m. -- MALC is next in the in-box, and they don't support these maps either.

Statement from MALC Chairman Trey Martinez Fischer:

"MALC worked in good faith with General Abbott in hopes of arriving at a compromise that reflected the changing diversity of our state in a manner acceptable to all parties.  Unfortunately negotiations stalled when it became apparent some parties in these discussions had a narrow and at times unrealistic view of the evidence presented at trial.  The maps proposed by the Attorney General today are a beginning point, not an end.

MALC has maintained from day one that minority rights should not be subordinated in order to facilitate political expediency.  We have presented a fair plan that recognizes the growth of the Latino and African American community while at the same time eliminating discriminatory tactics used by the State to disenfranchise the minority community.

As we have said before, MALC and the redistricting plaintiffs have presented a compelling case at trial in both San Antonio and in Washington, D.C.  We will not compromise our principles for the sake of expediency and will not be forced into a resolution that fails to recognize the fundamental fact that Texas' growth is minority growth.  We are confident that the evidence presented at trial demonstrates that Texas' maps violate both Section 5 and Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

The Attorney General presents an illusion of an inclusive map; the reality is that it falls short of recognizing minority growth in Texas.  For instance in CD 23, the compromise district clearly performs worse than it had in the benchmark map.  No one needs to be reminded that the candidate of choice of the minority community failed to win election in the benchmark map in 2010.  MALC could not accept a CD 23 that is worse off than it was in the benchmark map, considering that reality.  While all the parties support a primary as soon as possible, we want to ensure that Texans have fair and legal redistricting maps.  MALC is encouraged that with the issuance of these maps the Attorney General has made it clear that he accepts the growing reality that the maps adopted by the state legislature for the state house, state senate, and United States Congress were constitutionally-flawed and require immediate remedial action."

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Update: 3:10 p.m. -- From State Rep. Dawnna Dukes' Facebook Page:

"A.G. cherry picked groups with whom to cut a deal on the redistricting maps to rush for an April primary. The Texas Legislative Black Caucus, Mexican American Legislative Caucus, NAACP and all of the Democractic Congressional Members except Henry Cuellar (who got what he wanted in the Republican drawn maps) were excluded from discussions and did not support the [maps] issued today by A.G. Abbott's office. Travis County was not made whole nor partly whole. It is still divided into five separate congressional districts. Travesty....excluding TLBC, MALC, NAACP, TX LULAC, Gonzales Litigants [which includes Travis County]...this is not a good faith effort on the part of the A.G. to draw agreed upon maps as instructed by the San Anthonio Federal District Court."

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Update: 3:23 p.m. -- More commentary on the Congressional map changes, from my own eyeballing and the analysis of folks on Twitter and in the press.

CD-6 was apparently none of Abbott's concern, as the AG ripped into him on a redistricting press call, suggesting that his only concern is keeping the Cowboys stadium in his district. In reality Barton and his lawyer are very worried about the inclusion of more Hispanics in his district, which was already only "Lean Republican." Barton already has two decent Democratic challengers. [via]

CD-10 gets vastly more conservative than the interim maps, with the re-inclusion of ultra right-wing Tomball.

CD-23 gets more Democratic, thus making the winner of the primary, which is currently State Rep. Pete Gallego vs. Some Other Guy, and now potentially Gallego vs. Ex-Congressman Ciro Rodriguez.

CD-27 gets more Hispanic and thus more likely to flip Democratic. It looks like TX Republicans aren't afraid to say "sayonara" to Blake "Ducky Pajamas" Farenthold.

CD-33 goes from a district that was entirely in Tarrant County and favored the winner of the Marc Veasey-Kathleen Hicks primary, to one that spans Dallas and Tarrant, and has more Dallas than Tarrant. This would be a minority opportunity district in North Texas. [via]

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Update: 4:17 p.m. -- Michael Li posts filings from plaintiffs who don't agree to Abbott's purported "settlement."

Li reports that LULAC, NAACP, Davis, and the Travis County group told the San Antonio courts today that they did not agree to a deal, and that some of them had not even been contacted by the AG's office about this supposed deal.

The plaintiffs also have a list of House, Senate, and Congressional districts that they have problems with, notably the Central Texas boondoggle, the entirety of South Texas, the entire DFW Metroplex, and specific Congressional districts 23, 27, 30 and 35.  

This is good news because the courts will need to take this into account and understand that not all plaintiffs are on board here.

Ok, and now Li is reporting that State Senator Estes, SD-30, wants to intervene in the lawsuit since Abbott's new maps.

Good work, Abbott.

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Update 4:31 p.m. -- Twitter Scuttlebutt.  

Nolan Hicks of the San Antonio Express-News quotes Gary Bledsoe of the TX NAACP, who says that they may appeal to SCOTUS if the San Antonio panel selects this map. That makes sense, since the maps disenfranchise the African-American communities in Austin and to a degree in Tarrant County.

Quorum Report says the Court (which one?) has told the parties in redistricting to "keep negotiating."

Steve Rivas points out that only only would these maps cut Travis County in 5, they would cut the City of Austin into 6 Congressional districts. (Chunks of Austin are in Hays and Williamson Counties.)

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Update 4:45 p.m. -- MALDEF Likes It, San Antonio Courts Say No Dice

Per Michael Li:

The San Antonio court entered an order this afternoon telling parties that the court's scheduling orders would remain in place "in the absence of a general agreement between all Plaintiffs and the State of Texas."

In short, it does not appear the court is inclined - at this time at least - to move up its schedule for drawing interim maps unless the parties can reach a complete agreement.

Under the court's previously announced schedule, a hearing on interim maps is set for Wednesday, February 15, at 8 a.m.

Also, MALDEF issued a statement supporting the maps, which is posted on BOR here.

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Update 4:58 p.m. -- Lone Star Project Sends Update

The Lone Star Project emailed out a key update on the filing by several plaintiffs (NAACP, Travis Co., Davis) opposing Abbott's maps. Here's the key quote from the plaintiffs' filing, highlighted by the email:

Excerpt from Plaintiffs Advisory in opposition to AG's Proposal:

"We understand that the Court indicated in its February 2nd order that, if the April 3 primary was to remain in place, "all parties" should submit an agreed interim map by today. That will not be happening. None of the parties to this submission has joined in or has any plans to join in any proposed agreement with the state, in the person of the Texas Attorney General, as to interim maps for the districting plans at issue in this dispute. Some have been contacted by the Office of the Texas Attorney General about discussing potential areas of agreement; others have not been contacted in that regard at all. In any event, no agreement has been reached, and none is foreseeable.

That makes it pretty clear that there is no agreement and we likely can't have our April 3rd primary, since there is no agreed-upon map, and the San Antonio court has asked all parties to continue negotiating, in advance of the February 15th court date.

Other key points from the Lone Star Project:

• Under the AG's plan, minorities can elect the candidate of their choice in only 11 of 36 districts, down from 11 of 32 in our current map. That's a decrease from 34.4 to 30.5, and therefore doesn't accommodate minority population growth.
• Rep. Henry Cuellar, the one Democratic congressperson who signed on with the deal, supported Tom DeLay's redistricting efforts in 2001 and 2003.

Also, Burka says that only 1 of 10 redistricting attorneys has signed on to this plan. So, it sounds like no deal after all.

Ok, last update, I swear.

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This is the last update for now. We'll have additional coverage elsewhere on BOR.  

Senator Wendy Davis' Statement on SCOTUS Opinion

by: Katherine Haenschen

Fri Jan 20, 2012 at 04:18 PM CST

Press release below, emphasis mine:

Sen. Wendy Davis Encouraged By SCOTUS Ruling That Allows For Changes Where "Reasonable Probability" of Violations Exist

WASHINGTON D.C. - Senator Wendy Davis said the opinion by the U.S. Supreme Court provides legitimacy to the prior action of the San Antonio court when it drew the interim Senate map and we are therefore hopeful that we will see them replicate their actions in drawing a new interim map. Davis is hopeful of such an outcome because there is a 'reasonable probability' that the Washington D.C. court will deny preclearance of the Senate map because it is intentionally discriminatory and harms black and Hispanic voters, and it seems likely the San Antonio court will enhance minority voting strength in Senate District 10 to fairly reflect the minority population growth.

"On behalf of the thousands of voters for whom we are fighting, we are delighted that the U.S. Supreme Court ordered that adjustments should be made where the San Antonio court has found the likelihood of Section 2 violations or a "reasonable probability" of Section 5 violations, which was exactly how the San Antonio panel of judges drew the current interim maps," Davis said from a federal courthouse in Washington D.C., where she testified today in the Section 5 trial on Texas' redistricting plans. "The interim Senate map kept districts in place as they were drawn by the Legislature, except in Senate District 10 where the San Antonio court redrew the district I represent because there are likely violations of Sections 2 and 5 of the Voting Rights Act."

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Texans in the News

by: Katherine Haenschen

Fri Jan 20, 2012 at 08:45 AM CST

Wendy Davis!

Governing Magazine named State Senator Wendy Davis one of 12 State Legislators to watch in 2012. They write:

Democrats in the Texas Legislature lost significant ground in the 2010 elections. Still, Sen. Wendy Davis, who represents Fort Worth, used the limited tools available to her to achieve spectacular results. Hours before last year's session was to end, Davis filibustered a bill that included $4 billion in school cuts. That forced Republican Gov. Rick Perry -- who was on his way to becoming a presidential candidate -- to call a special session. It also turned Davis into "an icon among Democratic activists in Texas," says Mark P. Jones, a Rice University political scientist.

"Since the moment she stepped off the floor, supportive calls from all over the country flooded in, including lots of, 'Where can I send the check?'" says Genevieve Van Cleve, the deputy political director of Annie's List, a Texas-based group that recruits progressive women to run for office.

Early in life, Davis had a tough go of it. By age 19, Davis, whose mother had only a sixth-grade education, was divorced, had a baby and was living in a trailer park. She managed, however, to graduate first in her class from Texas Christian University, and then attended Harvard Law School. She served five terms on the Fort Worth City Council before winning a state Senate seat in 2008.

Davis' political career nearly came to an end in 2011 when a Republican-drawn redistricting map placed her in a GOP-friendly district. Luckily for her, a map drawn by federal judges put her in a more favorable situation -- albeit one that's no slam dunk either. Her 2012 re-election contest promises to be a high-profile, high-spending affair.

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Benita Veliz!

The San Antonio student and former valedictorian of Jefferson High School asked Republican front-runner Mitt Romney why he opposes the DREAM Act. Veliz faced deportation after she was pulled over for a routine traffic stop and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, aka ICE. She was spared deportation last year and has become a spokeswoman for the DREAM Act.

The Houston Chronicle reports:

"I was appalled when I heard Mitt Romney say he would veto the DREAM Act," Veliz, 26, told reporters during a conference call arranged by the Democratic National Committee.

"So many young people like me who were brought here so young; Mitt Romney's notion is not only insensitive - it's irresponsible," Veliz said.

During a campaign stop in Iowa last week, Romney pledged to veto legislation that would allow illegal immigrant children to become U.S. citizens.

He defended his stance during a televised interview Wednesday.

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Ellen Cohen!

The former State Legislator and recently elected Houston City Council Member may be the first Jewish council member in the city's history. Kudos to Houston, which is not only the largest city to have an openly LGBT mayor, but now gets to rack up another notable accomplishment in electing a diverse group of elected officials. The Houston Chronicle writes:

Cohen said it doesn't make her a pioneer, but she brings her Judaism with her to the job in subtle ways. Cohen said she has shared a joke with office neighbor Jerry Davis, an African-American councilman representing District B: He told her he loves bagels and lox, and she responded by disclosing her fondness for waffles and fried chicken. Both are menu items at the Davis family restaurant The Breakfast Klub.

Cohen also said she typically will not accept invitations on Friday nights because that's when she has Sabbath dinner with her family.

Cohen has a photo of what she jokingly calls "the Jewish caucus" from her days in the Texas House, where she served from 2007 through 2010. Cohen is posing in the photo with Speaker Joe Straus and Reps. Scott Hochberg and Elliott Naishtat.

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Taco Eating Beauty Queen!

This story will make you mad, hungry, or both. Miss San Antonio was recently stripped of her crowd by a State District judge after the beauty queen gained more weight than was allowed by her contract. Her contract? Yes, when the lovely Miss Domonique Ramirez won the title, she apparently signed a contract requiring her to maintain her weight. When the teen queen gained a few pounds, pageant organizers filed a suit to strip her of the title. From Reuters:

Woods and the Miss San Antonio organization stripped Ramirez of her crown in late January, charging that she was late to personal appearances, took part in at least one modeling engagement not sanctioned by the organization and, according to Woods, gained weight by eating "too many tacos."

Her contract required the 129-pound Ramirez to stay at the same weight as the day she won the pageant.

Woods said Ramirez had been given a written warning.

The story did not indicate how much weight she gained, but since it's a "scholarship competition" and not a bulimia achievement award it shouldn't matter, right?  

Support Senator Wendy Davis at Lambert's this Wednesday

by: Katherine Haenschen

Mon Dec 05, 2011 at 05:01 PM CST

Now, after a brutal redistricting battle in which Republicans hacked apart her Fort Worth district in an effort to prevent Davis from being re-elected, the maps have restored SD-10 to its basic 2008 incarnation. Davis won that district, unseating Republican Kim Brimer, with 49.92% of the vote in 2008, buoyed by historic turnout in the presidential race. Davis will have another serious campaign to run this cycle, and she's going to need all of our help to spread the word about her accomplishments in her first term.

It will be a challenging campaign, but Wendy Davis is plenty tough, as she exhibited at the end of last session with her late night filibuster of a school finance plan that underfunded public schools by $4 billion. Her rally to block the bad bill and force Rick Perry to call a special session was a shot in the arm to Democrats, who had watched Republicans try to essentially destroy Texas throughout the year.

Probably my favorite story about Davis' temerity happened when Senator Wentworth tried to play "chicken" with Davis, threatening to pull his Guns on Campus bill up for a vote if she left the chamber for her daughter's high school graduation. Davis refused to leave, so a Republican Senator said he would change his vote and block the bill in her absence so she wouldn't miss out on an important day for her family.

In any case, returning Wendy Davis to the upper chamber is a top priority for Democrats this cycle. Her Senate district is arguably the only one that isn't painfully safe for an incumbent Democrat. So it's great to see her 11 colleagues and Annie's list teaming up to make sure she has the resources necessary to run a strong campaign for SD-10. Davis will absolutely have a Republican challenger; the only question yet to be determined is how extreme and out-of-touch that Republican is with the people of Texas.

We don't usually like to be little more than a community calendar for fundraisers and events, but this event is important simply because Wendy Davis is so important. We need her leadership, her voice, and her work to prevent draconian budget cuts to social services, public education, and anything else our state provides that constitutes the fabric of society.

If you are able, please join our Democratic Senate caucus and Annie's List on Wednesday at Lambert's as we get a jump on re-electing this crucial leader.

The invitation is below the jump.  

Wendy Davis for Governor?

by: Todd Hill

Sat Oct 24, 2009 at 00:00 PM CDT

This scenario might seem wacky.

But it's arguably worth mulling precisely because Democrats lack top-of-the-ballot heft. That is, few credible aspirants for statewide nonjudicial posts, outside of governor, have emerged.

So I'd start by penciling in Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa of McAllen for state agriculture commissioner, Sen. Eddie Lucio of Brownsville for land commissioner, Sen. Royce West of Dallas for attorney general, Sen. Leticia Van de Putte of San Antonio for state comptroller and Sen. Judith Zaffirini of Laredo for lieutenant governor.

And to spice up the governor's race, I'd coax in youthful first-term Sen. Wendy Davis of Fort Worth or nudge in Sen. Mario Gallegos of Houston to age the field.

In fairness to Selby he did admit this scenario "might be wacky."  I agree, it is, but kudos for thinking outside the box; although we all have heard at least some of these senators listed as possible candidates for statewide office before. But I would cross Davis, who just added an award from the Texas Municipal League to her 81st legislative trophy cabinet this week, off any list for statewide office.

By no means do I say that because Senator Davis is incapable of being a fine candidate for statewide office---quite the opposite in fact.  Wendy Davis is an outstanding person and a well credentialed politician that would make a formidable candidate statewide; however, it is way too soon for her to show aspirations beyond seeking another full-term to represent Senate District 10 in 2012.  I do believe that female candidates, whether Democrat or Republican, do quite well in Texas.  Davis has a great resume to boot and many 81st legislative accomplishments to tout on the campaign trail.  But if she were to run statewide, and lose, her constituents in Tarrant County are very likely to strike her with the hex of, "ambitious beyond taking care of the needs of her constituents in senate district 10."  That would be an ugly campaign mailer by her opponent.  

Thanks for the idea, Gardner, but Tarrant County will keep Senator Davis all to ourselves---for now.      

Chris Turner and Wendy Davis Voted 'Freshman of the Year' by Texas Watch

by: Todd Hill

Fri Jul 31, 2009 at 02:02 PM CDT

The director of Texas Watch had this to say about Representative Turner:

"Rep. Chris Turner is a tireless advocate for the interests of Texas families, consumers, and workers.  During his first term in the Texas House, Rep. Turner showed that he is not afraid to stand up for the needs of homeowners and small businesses," said Alex Winslow, Texas Watch's Executive Director.  "The people of Tarrant County and all of Texas are better off because Chris Turner is fighting on their behalf."

During the 81st legislative session, Senator Davis and Representative Turner worked together and authored a number of pieces of legislation, much of which passed, on consumer protection issues and homeowner's insurance reform---key issues that mainstream Texans demanded action on and that Davis and Turner delivered on.  

There is no doubt that in 2010 Republicans will be targeting Chris Turner, with Republican Bill Zedler potentially taking aim at his old seat.  Tarrant Democrats will have our hands full in defending a real leader who advocates on behalf of not only the people of his district, but Texans in whole.  Senator Davis will not be up for re-election until 2012.    

Tarrant Legislators Deliver Electricity Legislation to Consumers

by: Todd Hill

Sun May 31, 2009 at 09:39 AM CDT

Passage of this legislation are seen as key campaign victories for Davis and Turner, who campaigned rigorously in House District 96 and Senate District 10 respectively throughout Tarrant County articulating the problems and identifying potential solutions for escalating utility costs to Texas consumers.

From Senator Davis:

"It has been an uphill battle with some powerful interests, but we succeeded in passing legislation that will have a very real, very positive impact on Texas families and their pocketbooks," Senator Wendy Davis said. "This is a common-sense measure that will give people an opportunity to shop around and secure the best electricity rates available, taking advantage of the competition among electricity retailers."

From Representative Turner:

"This legislation is a major victory for Texas families. It will provide more transparency for consumers by preventing unexpected, dramatic utility rate hikes," said State Representative Chris Turner. "I applaud Senator Wendy Davis for her hard work in getting these provisions into the bill and for her strong leadership on consumer issues."

Tarrant County is not only proud of Davis and Turner, but Representatives Veasey, Pierson, and Burnam as well.  You each represented our county, and your districts, well throughout the 81st legislative session.

Head of Economic Crimes to be Tarrant District Attorney

by: Todd Hill

Tue May 05, 2009 at 08:55 PM CDT

Well-placed sources in Tarrant County confirm that Joe Shannon, Head of Economic Crimes, will be Perry's safe choice to fill the remainder of Curry's term with assurances that he will not run for his own term in 2010.  If that is the case--Shannon not seeking his own term--then it is a safe bet that the Republican powers-that-be in Tarrant County will line up behind Robert K. Gill in what will likely turn out to be a nasty GOP primary.  Perry appointing Shannon will ensure he does not alienate key GOP leaders in Tarrant County when he will need all the Republican strength and support he can muster to fend off Kay Bailey Hutchison.  Gill has been the odds on favorite amongst Tarrant Republican leaders to eventually replace Curry for several years.    

Speculation now turns toward who the Democrats will field against the Republicans in the 2010 District Attorney race.  Much of the chatter has centered on Terri Moore, a former federal prosecutor, two-time Democratic candidate for Tarrant County District Attorney, and currently Assistant District Attorney to Craig Watkins in Dallas.  However, Moore is considered to be a top candidate for U.S. attorney in the North Texas region by the Obama Administration.  

Moore first ran for Tarrant County District Attorney against Curry in 2002, nabbing 46% of the vote in a county that voted 58% straight Republican.  Moore ran once more in 2006 picking up 47% of the vote in a year, again, with 58% straight Republican voting.  Terri is arguably the best candidate that Democrats could field in 2010, and with no entrenched incumbent in the field, would likely be the odds-on favorite to win the race.  She has incredible crossover appeal and has been the only Democrat in more than a decade to come close to winning a countywide election in Tarrant.  Having said that, and considering Moore is likely to take the U.S. attorney job if offered, any other Democrat who considers a countywide race in Tarrant has an uphill climb ahead of them.  The name heard most frequently outside of Terri's is Fort Worth attorney Larry Moore (no relation).  

Observer Retracts Story on Senator Whitmire

by: Todd Hill

Wed Feb 04, 2009 at 10:12 PM CST

Being at the meeting on Monday with Senator Davis, I took issue with the Observer's interpretation of what was said--in fact, their interpretation was just flat wrong.  

Having gone back and listend to the tapes once more, the Texas Observer issued the following retraction:

The Observer received an email from Sen. John Whitmire's office today. His chief of staff, Lara Wendler, said I got it all wrong on Whitmire's remark toward Sen. Wendy Davis in Senate Finance Committee last Monday. On Tuesday, I posted a piece saying that Whitmire told Davis she could sit in his chair on the dais, strongly implying that he said it in a less-than-appropriate way. The post, which has been removed from this site, was titled, "Senator Boogie Ogles New Senator."

In fact, after listening to the tape several times (it was an off-the-mic comment), it's clear that Whitmire actually said in a joking way that "Eltife" would give Davis his seat, referring to Sen. Kevin Eltife, another member of the committee. The Observer regrets the error and apologizes to Sen. Whitmire.

I don't believe in kicking people when they are down so I won't.  In fact, I praise individuals when they admit to making mistakes and work toward correcting them.  God knows I'm not a perfect being.  For admitting fault and issuing a retraction, I applaud the Observer.
 

Texas Observer Crying Foul over Nothing?

by: Todd Hill

Wed Feb 04, 2009 at 10:17 AM CST

According to the Texas Observer the following allegedly occurred:

Sen. Steve Ogden, the chair of Finance, welcomed Davis to the committee. Ogden said it was customary for senators to sit up on the dais even if he or she wasn't a member of the committee. "I'd invite you up here but we don't have any chairs," he said of the packed committee.

That's when Sen. John Whitmire-the Senate's elder statesman who's reputation over the years earned him the nicknames "Senator Hot Tub" and "Boogie"-chimed in. "She can sit right here in this seat," he said referring to his own chair and rolling his eyes like a randy schoolboy.

It is true that Senator Ogden stopped testimony to recognize Senator Davis, who was sitting in the audience with everyone else.  However, I can confidently say that I did not hear what the Observer heard.  Senator Whitmire's comment was to the effect of "she can have one of our chairs up here..." a rather innocent comment if you ask me.  

I think it would have been far more appropriate to recognize the fact that Senator Davis not only was sitting in the audience, about three rows back, amongst everyone else, but that when Senator Ogden graciously invited her up front with her colleagues that she politely declined.  She was comfortable in the audience where she was taking studious notes over the testimony being given regarding the state of the Texas economy and the 2010-2011 budget.  I thought it was refreshing that a state senator was fine sitting in the audience with everyone else, doing what I observed throughout the day--soaking information in and immersing herself in the issues at hand.  I find that to be a better story than an offhand comment that appears to have been easily misconstrued.