AUSTIN -- The Texas House rebuffed U.S. Rep. Joe Barton's attempt Wednesday to modify a congressional redistricting proposal that would remove Arlington from the 6th District, which Barton has represented since 1985.
On Barton's behalf, state Rep. Bill Zedler, R-Arlington, offered an amendment that would have returned about 10 percent of Arlington, including Barton's residence and district office, to the 6th District. Major Arlington landmarks including Rangers Ballpark, Cowboys Stadium, the General Motors plant and the University of Texas at Arlington would also have stayed in the 6th District under Zedler's amendment.The amendment was defeated 115-21.House members then voted 93-47 for the redistricting plan that came out of the House Redistricting Committee. That map places Arlington in one of four new districts allotted to Texas because of population growth. The proposed new District 33 includes parts of Tarrant and Wise counties and all of Parker County. Lawmakers have described the 33rd as an Arlington-based district because the city of more than 365,000 would be the district's dominant population center.Barton, ranking Republican on the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, has homes in both Arlington and Ennis, both in the current 6th District, which covers all or part of eight counties. It includes southwest Tarrant County and nearly all of Arlington.Barton has said that he plans to seek re-election but is undecided whether he will run in the redrawn 6th or the new 33rd District. In an e-mailed statement Wednesday, Barton said the House-passed map places his residences in separate districts."Arlington will be in the new 33rd District and Ellis County will stay in the 6th," Barton said. "I consider both home, and I am truly undecided about where I will run. The good news is I have two excellent districts to offer my service to. The bad news is I can't run in two districts at the same time."I will wait and see if the Texas House and the Texas Senate go to conference to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate maps. If my homes end up in different districts, I will then sit down with my wife and decide where to run."'No' vote is urgedRep. Burt Solomons, R-Carrollton, chairman of the House Redistricting Committee, called on House members to reject Zedler's proposed change, calling it "a last-minute amendment" that would reshuffle proposed new boundaries for three congressional districts -- the 6th, the 33rd and the 24th district, which is now represented by U.S. Rep. Kenny Marchant, R-Coppell."This is the epitome of Joe Barton ... wanting to have just exactly what he wants without really going through the process as all the other congressmen and everyone else in this process really did," Solomons said.Zedler's amendment "dramatically affects other districts" and would split Arlington, transferring about 57,000 Arlington residents back to the 6th District, he said. The plan also removed Hurst from District 24, Solomons said.Zedler, whose legislative district includes Barton's office and Arlington residence, said he offered the amendment after talking with Barton and his staff."If we can make the adjustment without hurting any other district, why not do it?" Zedler said.He told fellow House members that Barton would represent none of Arlington under the proposed map."It took out his home and his district office," Zedler said. "He's a long-standing congressman, and he ought to have his home in the" district.Zedler said Barton was particularly interested in continuing to represent UT Arlington because of his longtime efforts to help its school of nursing.Democratic Reps. Lon Burnam and Marc Veasey, both of Fort Worth, objected to the amendment, saying it would give special treatment to Barton after the Republican-led House rejected proposals to create minority districts in the Metroplex. Burnam said minority populations would be "ripped asunder" under the redistricting plan.Tarrant County's 10-member delegation in the state House split on the amendment. Republican Reps. Mark Shelton of Fort Worth and Diane Patrick and Barbara Nash, both of Arlington, sided with Zedler. Republicans Kelly Hancock of North Richland Hills, Todd Smith of Euless and Vicki Truitt of Keller voted to defeat it. Democrats Burnam and Veasey opposed it. Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, did not vote.Dave Montgomery is the Star-Telegram's Austin bureau chief. 512-476-4294Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
