Texas governor plans to keep calling sessions

AUSTIN, Texas -- Gov. Rick Perry indicated Wednesday he would continue calling special legislative sessions until Senate Democrats who fled the state to block a congressional redistricting bill show up to vote.

"If there is work to be done, I expect the legislature to be here conducting" it, Perry said when asked if he would call another special session.

Perry, a Republican, said he believes a new redistricting map will be approved this year.

The statement came as 11 Senate Democrats continued their more than two-week exile in Albuquerque, N.M. Their absence has brought the Senate to a standstill by denying it a quorum to take up the GOP redistricting plan.

Democrats in the House successfully blocked the redistricting plan during the regular session by fleeing to Oklahoma for four days in May.

Senate Democrats last week filed a lawsuit challenging Perry's authority to call the current special session, saying the Texas Constitution allows it only in extraordinary situations.

Trade panel: U.S. lumber tariffs may be too high

WASHINGTON -- An international trade panel on Wednesday rejected Canada's claim that the United States had no basis to impose tariffs on softwood lumber used to build homes, but said the duties may be too high.

The panel of three American and two Canadian judges, set up under the North American Free Trade Agreement to deal with trade disputes, upheld U.S. claims that Canada subsidizes its timber industry and therefore is subject to tariffs.

The legally binding ruling means the Commerce Department must recalculate -- and likely reduce -- the tariffs within 60 days. The decision also could put pressure on Canada to reform its timber industry and move toward a more market-based system.

U.S. officials had no immediate comment.

Canada's international trade minister, Pierre Pettigrew, applauded the decision, which he predicted would result in lower duties for Canadian lumber. He even held out hope that the United States eventually would eliminate the duties.

"We think that if we have an honest method in keeping with American law, the countervailing duty should be zero," he said.

Unions wants Verizon customers to switch

WASHINGTON -- Unions locked in a two-month contract fight with Verizon Communications Inc. asked customers Wednesday to pressure the phone company by threatening to switch their phone service and drop services such as caller identification and call waiting.

The campaign by the Communications Workers of America and the AFL-CIO is intended to boost workers' leverage at the bargaining table, with negotiations in a third week with federal mediators.

Some 78,000 telephone operators and technicians in states from Virginia to Maine have been working without a contract since the Aug. 2 expiration. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers also represents some of the workers.

The effort relies on support from 3.5 million union members in five states where Verizon faces competition from unionized AT&T Corp. for local phone service. Those states are Virginia, Maryland, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts.

-- From wire reports