Political Quotes

“I guess to start with this is the first time in 50 years that we know of, in at least 50 years, that there has been a reopening of redistricting based simply on partisan purposes after the census has come out. Typically, in my experience in the Texas legislature, in 1981 as a State legislator and in 1991 as a State Senator, we did not want restricting bills on the floor of the Senate or the House because it was so divisive. But again, here in 2003, we are getting ready to do it again in Texas. This is setting a standard not only for Texas but for the Nation that I think we should take a step back and look at. I think it is wrong. Again, whether it is Democrats or Republicans doing it, I think it is wrong. It just happens that in Texas it is the Republicans that are reopening this in 2003. We could see the same things happening in States that are controlled by Democrats. I do not think it is good public policy. The problem we have, particularly with what has happened in the State capital, is that there were no public hearings outside our State capital.”