Grassley says Texas redistricting saga would never happen in Iowa because it’s handled in different way

NEW HARTFORD — The Texas redistricting saga continues as their Governor Greg Abbott has threatened state Democrats with ongoing special legislative sessions and an expanded effort to redraw congressional lines as the ongoing standoff over the GOP redistricting push.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says that wouldn’t be happening in Iowa with the way redistricting is handled.  “Iowa is one of seven states that has a program to have a bipartisan commission come up with redistrictings. So it has to be approved by the legislature, but seldom isn’t approved, and you can have three different approaches in Iowa. In Texas, it’s entirely partisan.”

Grassley says the prognosis is poor for a good outcome, especially the last time this happened in Texas.   “That’s proven by the fact that maybe ten years ago they tried exactly the same thing, and it lasted about a couple of weeks, and they had to come back and vote because they were embarrassed by their constituents by not doing their job. That’s true not only of Republican constituents but Democrat constituents, so they are going to fail in the end.”

A Democratic state representative said late this morning that he and his colleagues who fled the Texas State Capitol have agreed to remain absent for the next two weeks as they attempt to deny the state legislature a quorum and stop progress on the redistricting plan.