Media bias in Texas?

A number of Texas journalists have voiced support for scores of state Democratic lawmakers who walked out of the legislature, with at least one television news producer being reprimanded for voicing his personal views, government watchdog groups say.

Last week, 51 Democrats who oppose a Republican-sponsored federal congressional redistricting bill took flight across state lines, staying holed up for four days at a hotel in Ardmore, Okla., in protest of the legislation.

The Democrats’ flight caused the Republican leadership to shutter the 150-member Texas House and put on hold scores of important bills. By statute, 100 lawmakers are required to form a quorum.

Within hours of the May 12 walkout, Republican Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick sent police, including the Texas Rangers, to find the missing Democrats, who sheltered themselves from arrest in neighboring Oklahoma. They returned in a bus caravan Friday after declaring victory when the redistricting bill died due to inaction.

U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, House majority leader, is a strong backer of the redistricting bill. Political analysts on the left and right have predicted the GOP-sponsored bill likely would have retired a number of Democrats from the U.S. Congress.

Lawmakers and pundits from around the country and in Texas voiced opinions regarding the Democrats’ flight, an expected and accepted reaction in political circles. But several Texas media professionals also made their views known by voicing support for the Democrats’ actions, say watchdog groups, which led to allegations of media bias.

According to Texas Media Watch, or TMW, an organization claiming to present a “balanced view” of state media, KENS-TV producer Dave Davies was reprimanded Friday after upper management learned he had sent State Rep. Elizabeth Ames Jones, R-San Antonio, an e-mail opposing her position regarding the Democrats’ walkout.

Jones issued a statement to the press shortly after her colleagues walked out of the legislature last week, charging them with wasting taxpayer dollars and behaving in a childish manner, calling their actions “serious.”

“We’re strong, but this is very serious. It’s a very serious breach. I hope they are having fun on their vacation,” she said.

TMW said Davies replied to Jones’ e-mail press release: “Sorry, but you are wrong. The walk out [sic] is the right thing to do.”

KENS-TV executive news director Tom Doerr told the organization Davies’ e-mail surprised him.

“The station gets dozens of press releases every day, but we don’t reply to them with editorial comment,” Doerr said, calling Davies’ e-mail “improper” and “unfortunate.”

Doerr said Davies had been reprimanded for his reply, though it was unclear what action was taken, and he stressed that Davies’ personal views did not reflect those of the station.

“We don’t editorialize,” Doerr said.

Meanwhile, TMW says other journalists also spoke out in support of the Democrats’ walkout. Several “from around the state also found time to e-mail their support for the Democratic retreat to Oklahoma this week,” said a TMW statement.

Another group, the Texas chapter of Citizens for a Sound Economy, or CSE, sent out a press release condemning the walkout, which, it said, elicited these responses from other media professionals:

• Kristin Hall, news editor at the Leader Press in Copperas Cove, said, “Quorum busters, I salute you.” Hall engaged in a lengthy e-mail exchange with Texans for a Sound Economy head Peggy Venable, in which Hall wrote that “the elected officials can’t represent those who voted them into office if the power hungry [sic] majority shift the district lines…” Hall said she was concerned she had voted for U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, a Democrat, but the new redistricting map would make Rep. Lamar Smith, a Republican, her representative. Hall, who told Venable she was a Republican, said, “I feel it’s fine to have an opinion as long as it doesn’t color what I report, which never happens. You obviously don’t read our newspaper.”

• John Moseley, editor of the Big Springs Herald, wrote in response to the CSE press release, “You folks need to get a life,” and told TMW he resents “the poison letter-writing campaigns the conservative hierarchy has created.” He also said he had written no columns or editorials regarding the redistricting issue and said his views hadn’t affected the paper’s reporting of the issue.

• Robert Halpern, publisher of the Big Bend Sentinel, wrote in response to the press release: “Funny thing in politics. It’s not all black and white. In fact, it’s mostly gray. There are reasons these legislators have done what they’ve done. As far as I’m concerned, they are doing the people’s work. Pete [Gallego, D-Alpine] is not only my state representative but a fellow Alpine native and a dear friend. Please take the Big Bend Sentinel and the International Presidio paper off all your lists.”

The Washington Times reported Monday that “undercurrents” of anger and frustration remain in the state legislature following the walkout as scores of bills needing attention went unfinished. At least 100 bills died automatically Thursday because no floor debate had been held before deadline. Another 300 bills, the paper said, died in the Calendar Committee before they could reach the floor.

Republican Gov. Rick Perry, however, said despite the delays caused by the walkout, lawmakers still had time to act on three of his priorities – the budget, a lowering of home insurance rates and stricter civil-justice statutes.

Meanwhile, a state legal watchdog group has filed a grievance with the state bar association against 21 of the Democrat lawmakers who are also attorneys. The complaint “seeks a full investigation and hearing that could lead to disciplinary measures, including disbarment and suspension of the license to practice law,” said a news advisory issued Friday by James Logan, chairman of Texans for Legislative Ethics.

“The grievance asks the state bar to consider whether the absentee attorney legislators committed criminal acts by evading arrest, hindering apprehension, interfering with public duties, interfering with Texas peace officers’ exercise of their authority and performance of their duty, violating the Open Meetings Act and abusing their official capacity,” said Logan.

The complaint also seeks “an investigation into whether the truant attorney legislators’ flight across state lines constituted an obstruction of justice and whether they engaged in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation,” said the advisory.

Though the lawmakers have since returned to Texas, Logan insists “they must face the consequences of their actions that have paralyzed Texas state government.”

“Like disbarred former President Bill Clinton, these 21 legislators who are also attorneys are subject to stringent ethical rules and regulations consistent with their status as officers of the court,” he said. “These rules are clearly applicable to their conduct as legislators as well as to their personal activities.”

The grievance was filed against state Reps. Robert Alonzo, Gabi Canales, Jaime Capelo, Joaquin Castro, Joe Deshotel, Jim Dunnam, Craig Eiland, Pete Gallego, John Mabry, Trey Martinez-Fischer, Paul Moreno, Elliott Naishtat, Rene Oliveira, Dora Olivo, Aaron Pena, Robert Puente, Jim Solis, Senfronia Thompson, Carlos Uresti, Miguel Wise and Steve Wolens.