Ken Martin – DNC chair excludes some examples from a tally of Texas hearings on flood versus redistricting

Democratic National Committee chairman Ken Martin criticized Texas Republicans’ push for congressional redistricting, saying they have the wrong priorities. Martin spoke from Illinois, where some Texas Democrats had decamped in an effort to derail the redistricting effort.

“Democrats are fighting back, we’re not rolling over,” Martin said at an Aug. 5 press conference. “And I’ve been saying to these Texas Republicans, if you want a showdown, well you’re going to get a showdown. And here it is right now, here in Illinois, unlike Texas — Texas Republicans who held just one hearing, one hearing on flood response, but eight hearings on rigging maps — Texas Democrats are doing their damn jobs.”

Texas Democrats in the state legislature left for Illinois, New York and Massachusetts to deny Republicans a quorum to redistrict congressional maps. Republicans are seeking to redraw boundaries to boost their chances of winning five more seats in the midterm elections. 

Martin referred to hearings about July 4 flooding in Texas that killed at least 135 people, including about three dozen children. The floods, and some maneuvering by the Trump administration, led to a revised agenda for Texas’ special legislative session.

President Donald Trump on Aug. 5 said the GOP is “entitled to five more seats” in Texas. 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced in June that lawmakers would hold a special session the following month. In July, he added topics about the flood and redistricting to the agenda. 

Martin’s numbers did not include all of the flood hearings, in part because he included only those where the public was invited to testify. Martin excluded one hearing where the public didn’t testify but that lawmakers labeled a hearing, and he left out another planned the same day as his comments. Including those, there were three flood hearings and eight redistricting hearings. 

It is “worth noting that the Central Texas flooding took place just over a month ago, and it took some time for our Legislative Council drafters to write the bills that are being heard in committee today,” Molly Wilson, chief of staff for state Rep. Tom Oliverson, chair of the Texas House GOP caucus, told PolitiFact on Aug. 5.

Two July hearings about the deadly flooding

State House and Senate committees on disaster preparedness and flooding held joint hearings July 23 and July 31.

The July 23 hearing, held at the state Capitol, included government officials’ testimony about the state’s response to the flooding, state disaster response capabilities, flood planning and first responder communications during disaster operations. The second hearing, held in Kerrville, which was devastated by flooding, included residents’ testimony. Each hearing lasted about 12 hours. 

At the July 31 hearing, residents heard about the absence of crucial local officials. Kerr County’s emergency management coordinator, William B. Thomas IV, testified he was sick and asleep when the flooding began in the middle of the night. Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said he was asleep until deputies woke him up before dawn. Judge Rob Kelly, who oversees local emergency management, said he was out of town.

Hundreds of people attended the hearing.

Alicia Jeffrey Baker, whose parents and 11-year-old daughter Madelyn “Emmy” Jeffrey were killed in the flooding, testified that officials should put in place a more effective audible alert system for flash flooding.

“That’s my suggestion as someone living through a nightmare,” Baker said. “We need to do better for the people in this community, for the people that are suffering.”

Lawmakers held eight hearings including public testimony on redistricting 

We confirmed there were eight redistricting hearings between July 24 and Aug. 1 using the legislative minutes.

A House committee held redistricting hearings July 24, July 26, July 28 and Aug. 1, while a Senate committee held hearings on July 25, July 26, July 28 and July 29. The hearings lasted hours, with one stretching about 15 hours, and included public testimony. At the Aug. 1 hearing, almost 500 people registered to speak against the redrawn map, while about 20 signed up to speak in support.

PolitiFact’s redistricting meeting tally did not include a July 30 hearing that lasted about 50 minutes or an Aug. 2 House meeting that lasted for less than a half hour.

Martin referred to “Texas Republicans” hearings. The Republican Party controls both chambers of the Texas Legislature, and committee chairs, who are Republicans, call hearings. But Democrats are also members of the panels that met.

Andrew Mahaleris, an Abbott spokesperson, said there were “multiple hearings on flood relief and preparedness.” He did not cite a specific number.

Our ruling

Martin said on the morning of Aug. 5 that Texas Republicans held one hearing on July 4 floods but eight hearings on congressional redistricting.

A joint House and Senate committee held two hearings on flood response, on July 23 and July 31.

Martin’s numbers did not include the July 23 hearing, where the public did not testify, or an Aug. 5 hearing that took place after Martin’s comments but which was publicly advertised at the time he spoke. When counting those, there were three flood hearings. 

Lawmakers held eight hearings on redistricting from July 24 to Aug. 1. 

The statement is partially accurate but leaves out important details. We rate it Half True.

Dallas Morning News reporters Philip Jankowski and Karen Brooks Harper contributed to this fact-check.

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