Texas Democrats, Republicans take battle to courts

Houston Chronicle - AP and a better story from their reporters.

All nine [Texas Supreme Court] justices are Republicans, and one, Priscilla Owen, has had her nomination to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked three times by U.S. Senate Democrats.

Additionally, Attorney General Greg Abbott, who is representing Perry and Dewhurst, was a Supreme Court justice before resigning in 2001 to run for his current office.

Austin American-Statesman -- Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst asked the Texas Supreme Court to compel the Senate Democrats to return from New Mexico and attend a special session to redraw the state's congressional districts. Just before that, the 11 Democrats filed a lawsuit in a Travis County state District Court arguing that the governor has no right to call a special session on redistricting and asking for a ruling that the Senate cannot have them arrested if they return to Texas.