Middle of the road - Communities divided by redistricting

SONORA, Texas -- To folks in this hamlet on the western edge of the Texas Hill Country, redistricting seemed an issue for the big cities.

That was until state lawmakers divided Sutton County between two U.S. congressmen, splitting a place where natural gas fuels the economy and where hunters fill the main drag each autumn.

"With just 3,000 people here, it's just absurd," said John Tedford, the county's Republican party chairman. "We haven't been considered at all."

Tedford says he's now considering leaving his party post after 40 years rather than take on the responsibilities of working in two districts. County elections officials are also frustrated, saying the changes will likely cost them thousands of dollars they didn't know to budget for.

The legislature spent much of the year arguing over redistricting. Democratic lawmakers, claiming the Republican-drawn map would reduce the number of predominantly minority districts in Texas, fled the state twice to block a vote. It took three special sessions, the last in October, to approve the map, which splits many counties and runs one district boundary right down the middle of Sonora.

The plan still must have the approval of the U.S. Justice Department, and it faces court challenges that are expected to go before a federal judge Dec. 11.

Federal rulesDemocrats want the map blocked from use in 2004, saying it may violate federal law and would be disruptive because it moves more than 8.1 million Texans into new districts. Republicans say it reflects the state's conservative voting trends. The congressional delegation is 17-15 in favor of Democrats while the legislature is majority Republican.

Running the line through Sonora was an unavoidable consequence of federal rules, said Republican State Sen. Todd Staples.

Districts must be evenly divided based on each U.S. Census, meaning each of Texas' congressional districts must contain 651,619 residents.

"Realistically, it could have been one of a hundred different towns where the boundary eventually stopped," Staples said. The split was probably drawn "in the wee hours of the morning, as we analyzed the map."

For Sutton County officials, though, that change is going to mean more spending before the March 9 primary -- provided the new map is approved.

The wait means counties with boundary changes will likely be left scrambling to meet an array of election filing and ballot deadlines once the new map receives final approval. They will need time to print ballots, mail new voter registration cards and alert voters of new polling places.

"Once you add in everything, we're looking at at least $5,000," said Sutton County Judge Carla Garner, a Democrat. "That's a considerable amount we didn't budget for."

"It's absolutely ridiculous," Garner said. "They split our votes, and we don't have that many to begin with. I don't understand why they did it. It can't make any difference to either district that we're in."

Republican U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla has represented residents in Sutton County for 11 years, but under the new map, the 1,200 people in the northeast half of the county will be in a new district.

"It's always been my contention that if it ain't broke, don't fix it," said Mallie Turner, a retired natural gas well operator who will be losing Bonilla as his congressman under the new map.

"I don't know who will represent us," Turner said. "He may be good as gold, but I'm more than pleased with Henry Bonilla."