When newly elected Congressman Steve Kuykendall arrived in Washington, D.C. in January 1999, the Palos Verdes Republican made a point of visiting Tom DeLay as soon as possible. DeLay, a Republican from the Houston area then entering his eighth term in the House of Representatives, had served as the majority whip since 1995. In a legislature, the whip is responsible for ensuring that party members fall in line for upcoming votes. For those on the fence, DeLay would threaten to support primary challenges in an upcoming election, or to cripple a representative’s fundraising with unfavorable calls to influential donors. His reputation for intolerance of even occasional lapses earned him the nickname “The Hammer.”
Opinion: Michigan s redistricting commission must stay independent
Greg McNeilly
Two years ago, Michigan voters went to the polls and approved a constitutional amendment to change how our state handles redistricting. Gone now are the days when the legislature drew new district boundaries after every census.
Voters opted instead to give redistricting responsibility to a brand-new entity, something called an Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. A genuinely independent body would draw better lines every ten years, and lines absent of partisan interest voters were told if it were made up not of elected officeholders but everyday laypeople without a political party s dog in the fight.