"Wow. What a surprise," said former state Sen. Norma Anderson, R-Lakewood. "Am I glad I'm not down there any more to go all through that."

Anderson said the ruling will make the legislature even more partisan and petty.

"You only have 120 days (in a session) and if you end up fighting congressional boundaries the whole time that's not good," she said.

Anderson has regretted her role in the 2003 redistricting effort sprung on Democrats in the waning days of the session.

"It brought so many bitter feelings to the legislative process that have never been healed," she said. "Worse, it inspired the Democrats to take the majority -- and they did."

[The Supreme Court] ruled 7-2 that state legislators may draw new [electoral district] maps as often as they like -- not just once a decade as Texas Democrats claimed. That means Democratic and Republican state lawmakers can push through new maps anytime there is a power shift at a state capital.

The Constitution says states must adjust their congressional district lines every 10 years to account for population shifts. In Texas the boundaries were redrawn twice after the 2000 census, first by a court, then by state lawmakers in a second round promoted by DeLay after Republicans took control.

That was acceptable, the justices said...

After Texas decided to redraw its congressional district boundaries, two other states -- Colorado and Georgia -- also undertook a second round of redistricting.

"Some people are predicting a rash of mid-decade redistricting. I am skeptical," said Richard Hasen, an election law expert at Loyola Law School. "It would be seen as a power grab in a lot of places."

Justice John Paul Stevens took the opposite view.

"By taking an action for the sole purpose of advantaging Republicans and disadvantaging Democrats, the state of Texas violated its constitutional obligation to govern impartially," he wrote.

The trial consumed eight days of testimony about [former GSA chief David] Safavian's assistance to Abramoff regarding government-owned real estate and the weeklong golfing excursion to Scotland that the lobbyist organized.

Safavian went on the trans-Atlantic trip while he was chief of staff at the General Services Administration, and other participants besides Ney included two of the congressman's aides and Christian Coalition founder Ralph Reed.

REP. MORGAN CARROLL LOBBY REFORM BILL
SIGNED INTO LAW BY GOVERNOR

Denver - Rep. Morgan Carroll's, D-Aurora, bill to reform the state's lobbying practices was signed into law by the governor today. It was sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Ron Tupa, D-Boulder.

HB 1149 expands existing requirements pertaining to lobbyist disclosures for more transparency, accountability and better checks-and-balances in government. A study by the Center for Public Integrity last year found that Colorado received a near-failing grade when it came to lobbying disclosure.

"I'm glad that the governor agreed that the people have a right to know. "said Rep. Carroll. "The more we keep what lobbyists do in the dark, the more the public distrusts how government operates, and this new law will shine some light on the process. This bill was about earning, and deserving the public's trust in their government."

According to Sen. Tupa, "This new law will provide greater accountability into the role of lobbyists at the State Capitol. Now taxpayers will know who's paying these lobbyists to influence the legislative process. Colorado residents deserve to know this information, and thanks to HB 1149, now they will."