Texas’ new redistricting maps are now law after Gov. Greg Abbott signs GOP-backed bills
By: Sami Sparber
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
AUSTIN — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday signed into law new political maps drawn by Republicans that cement the GOP’s grip on power for the next decade but blunt the voting strength of nonwhite voters who fueled Texas’ population surge.
Critics say the redrawn congressional, legislative and State Board of Education maps do not reflect the major growth of the Hispanic community, which made up nearly half of the state’s population gain since 2020. People of color accounted for 95% of the state’s population boom over the last decade, with much of the growth concentrated in cities and suburban areas, census data show.
“With his signature today, Governor Abbott continues the shameful five-decade-long tradition of ramming through extremely gerrymandered maps in an undemocratic process,” Anthony Gutierrez, Common Cause Texas executive director, said in a news release. “These racially and partisan gerrymandered maps deny every voter in Texas from having an equal say in the issues we care about most, like a stronger economy, better schools, and affordable healthcare.”
Abbott’s office didn’t release any remarks about the bill signing.
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund has already asked a federal court to toss out the maps , arguing the redrawn boundaries violate the federal Voting Rights Act and dilute the voting strength of Hispanic voters. The new maps are generally expected to withstand legal challenges, but battles over aspects of the boundaries could last several years.
A second federal lawsuit against the maps was filed Monday, with advocacy organization Voto Latino and a group of individual voters arguing the new U.S. House boundaries dilute Latino and Black voting strength in violation of the Voting Rights Act.
Because Abbott signed the redistricting plans before a Nov. 15 deadline set by state lawmakers, the primary election is slated for March 1, 2022.
Abbott also signed other bills on Monday that were passed during the third special legislative session, including a measure that would clarify existing state law regarding the safety of dogs chained outside and make the statute easier to enforce. The governor vetoed similar legislation in June.
Also on the list of signings was a resolution authorizing a constitutional amendment to go before voters next May that would increase the homestead exemption for school taxes to $40,000, up from $25,000. It would save the owner of a $300,000 home about $176 a year in property taxes.
And he signed a bill requiring athletes in public schools to play on sports teams that correspond with the sex listed on their birth certificate.
This year, Republican lawmakers have a clearer path toward using the redistricting lines they want because Texas is no longer required to get federal approval on new political maps. For decades, every Texas redistricting plan has been either changed or tossed out by a federal court after being found in violation of the Voting Rights Act.
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Plenty of red meat in this article.
Past and present Presidents are off topic, thanks
I may be crazy, but I think that the "districts" should be counties. That way no one can change them. But that's just me.
The problem with that solution is the law requires near-even population counts for each district. Counties in Texas could never comply with that law because of size and populations varying so much.
That law only applies to the US House Rep district.
The districts for State House and State Senate are allowed to favor one party by 10% in Texas.
That's where gerrymandering attempts to solidify local power.
Lived in many states, but the TX voter ID card is special. 12 categories.
Which is why I mentioned it, because that is precisely what I am talking about.
I agree.
So how would you comply with the law?
If it's a good idea, change the law.
Exactly.
Yeah, I am sure SCOTUS would be thrilled to see a state deliberately try to ignore their past rulings on the size of Congressional districts.
It is a silly suggestion.
So you are stating that laws cannot be changed? Once it is a law, that is it, huh....
SCOTUS has already ignored previous SCOTUS decisions on other matters, why do you think this is different?
Not at ALL. What led you to such an erroneous conclusion?
Again, not what I said. Perhaps you would care to start debating what I really DID say?
Also, one must look at the decisions made by SCOTUS to realize that the law for equal district populations in a state was made to give people an equal representation is Congress.
You said that changing the law was a silly suggestion. Really, you did, it is directly above my question, I even quoted you with my question.
Once again it appears that your inability to speak clearly and concisely is affecting the conversation.
I said that if it was a good idea, the law should be changed. You replied with "It is a silly suggestion". (notice the quotation marks?)
I know what I wrote. It IS a silly suggestion.
Of course, when one looks at the decision handed down by SCOTUS, it makes perfect sense for why the law will stand and not be changed.
Look at these cases and you will soon see WHY SCOTUS ruled the way they did and WHY it is highly unlikely that any major deviation from those rulings would be tolerated.
Baker v Carr,
Wesberry v Sanders,
Reynolds v Sims,
Yes.
Because.... math.
Sometimes the simplest solutions like yours are the hardest for politicians to grasp.
How could you do it by individual counties when they vary so much in population?
They like to overcomplicate things so even they can't understand them. Then they manipulate it again & again. It would be nice if our government representatives actually represented us.
Congressional districts have to all be roughly the same size population, all across the country. There is a little variation for the particularly small states , but the principle is always there.
It would be impossible to use county borders to create congressional districts .
But it is not impossible to redraw them to suit the wants & desires of whatever political party is "in charge"?
Nothing is impossible. Stop drawing lines that bisect counties - combine counties if necessary BUT leave the lines as county lines. This redistricting is bullshit - it is time to represent all the people, not just those you think will vote for you (you being used in reference to representatives).
That is true for Congressional Districts only.
Texas allows a 10% differential for State Rep districts, State Senate districts and who knows what else.
We have Community Precincts, JP precincts, City, City Counsel, Schools, SBOE(?) Water and others.
Lets say you have a county of one million people , and the congressional district size is 750,000. The best you could do is keep one congressional district entirely within the county and another one would be partially in that county and partially in an adjacent county. This would be ideal, but many many counties across the country dont have 1 million people.
I agree though that the congressional district boundaries should be kept as uniformly shaped as possible.
Yeah - let's just keep redistricting then because that is fair.
Yes, let's keep adhering to the law.
Oh well. I still back the idea though.
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Well now, that IS interesting. He is actually admitting that Democrats have done exactly what he accuses Republicans of doing.
Hmmmm......I wonder if he issued statements when the Democrats did it, too.
Oh, the sheer HORROR of that! LOL!
We are already in an early voting situation. Mail in ballot applications weren't mailed out so we will have to vote in person.
My current Voter card says district 26 but we are now in 33?
Wtf?
Well, if your current card was issued before the new maps were drawn, it stands to reason that your district may change. Plenty of time to figure it all out before elections.
Special election on November 02, this coming Monday.
Like I said, plenty of time to figure it out.
Tuesday but who's counting LOL
Just ribbin' ya
Predictably the phones at the local election office are experiencing long wait times.
Correction, now we are in 24.
Texas redistricting map: Find your new districts | The Texas Tribune
Redistricting should be done by bi partisan committees from the state legislature. The same number of Democrats and Republicans. Then, at the least, there would have to be horse trading. No one party should control redistricting in any state. It is undemocratic.
I wonder how many Democrats share that sentiment, and did they feel that way when Democrats gerrymandered for decades?
Which decades? Are you talking About Texas specifically?
Most Gerrymandered States 2021
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Well, the article even quotes someone saying it has been going on for at least 50 years. Which means Democrats as well as Republicans gerrymandered whenever they got the chance.
I also refuse to ignore the very long history of the Democrats in power in DC, much of it owed to a solid blue South due to gerrymandering and Jim Crow.
Texas state politics, like every other southern state, was dominated by the Democratic party from the Reconstruction Era till the mid-late '90s. C'mon man...
Well it took the first lawsuits a few years after the 1965 Voting Rights Act to be settled so in round numbers 50 is very
accurate.
He specifically stated that it has been rammed through in an undemocratic process.
There ya go, never bypass an opportunity to slam those old time conservatives responsible for Jim Crow.
But your wrong. Gerrymandering was rarely necessary in the South, the Democrats would not accept black voters
and most blacks overwhelmingly avoided the GoP.
Which would make Democratic Jim Crow laws totally unnecessary even by Democratic "standards".
So Democrats passed Jim Crow laws because blacks were already avoiding Democrats' biggest competition?
What a bunch of freaking Einsteins they were!!!
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How does your picture relate to my question?
Interesting. Never had an issue in CA or PA.
And in memory there was never retaliation, a few lawsuits and then the courts settled it and everyone moved on.
SC was tit for tat almost every time there was as a change in power.
Don't know what you are talking about. I have never posted my picture to this forum.
This is why the ability needs to be removed from the party in power, and placed in the hands of a non-partisan, or at least bi-partisan, committee.
Post 5.1.2.
That IS what YOU posted, is it not?
How does your post relate to mine?
That is not my picture. It doesn't look anything like me. I think you're confused.
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Agreed. Butt fairness seems to have been tossed long ago.
As will this one, if it is in violation. The article mentions 2 federal lawsuits already filed with more to come I'm sure.
I did find this which was helpful.
Texas redistricting map: Find your new districts | The Texas Tribune
Texas (and other states) were only required to get federal approval on new maps because of the way Democrats abused the system, along with using Jim Crow laws to prevent blacks from voting.
Imagine, a now-red state having to get approval from a Democratic Administration to ensure the abuses which occurred under Democratic rule wouldn't be repeated. I surely hope people can see the irony in that!
Well I am sure that that would become common knowledge if CRT wasn't banned in high schools in TX.
Been that way for opposing parties since 1789. I am surprised that you think that's ironic
when you seem to espouse nothing but revenge politics.
I learned all about it in school many years ago. Today's curriculum probably includes it, too.
Okay then. I will have to assume you never heard of the Voting Rights Bill then. There was no Republican Party in 1789, btw.
Not nearly as surprised as I am that you don't see it.
Revenge? Oh, I get it--you mean like Democrats passing Jim Crow as revenge on blacks for them losing the Civil War and ownership of their property.
oops, sorry I forgot about the grievance history taught in previously CSA states. My bad.
No, I mentioned it and 1965 at least twice in my comments.
Labels. American political labels boil down to either cons or libs. Whether they called themselves Whigs, Federalists
Jeffersons ( Anti Federalist) or the confusing Democratic Republicans, Jackson Democrats (very mean people)
they were all one or the other until 1965 when the those pissed off conservative Southern Dems began to leave.
LMAO at the coyness.
Well aside from very few blacks losing the CW or property, Yes. ( I understand what you meant )
You see the difference to me, my extended family which includes Mexicans, blacks, Jews and Filipinos is that
collectively they don't blame a party for the past. They blame the ideology, they blame the reasons whites
gathered in the fields and mindlessly burned crosses in God's name while lynching some of God's children.
None of us are Democrats, Republicans or Independents because of what happened from 1865 to 1965.
It's just not a hang up or a blame game that works for us.
Butt keep it up if it works for you.
God bless, god speed and all that stuff
Whatever THAT means. Please present an example.
Gee, that sounds like you don't think Democrats or Republicans switched parties because of anything that happened in those years. What a switcheroo!
PROGRESS!
First week in SC Middle school. Daughter came home furious that she was marked wrong for the Father of our Country
and the First President. Apparently Jeff Davis is appreciated a little differently in the deep south if not in Texas.
I don't believe so, but you go ahead and entertain yourself thinking so.
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I was never taught that in school and as far as I know neither were the children in the family.
My kiddos were taught that the North started the War and the slaves were just part of the family and depending
on whether their owners were Biblical or not, they were freed after 7 years per the Bible's rules. (Yes really)
My oldest kids were almost in HS and knew all about the Underground Railroad that ran through PA to Canada.
They were born in PA
One of their SC coaches told me my girls needed to learn their places as
'temporary residents' and not "rock the boat".
I got a traffic ticket once and you have to go to court for even the most minor infractions. They had stopped all
state inspections for some reason and I had bought a used car with an expired inspection ticket that only a licensed
inspection mechanic could remove with an "approved" sticker scraper
Went to court and lost. They would only take cash. An officer with a huge grin
told me I could buy something at the Piggly Wiggly and get cash from them.
I thought it was a legitimately good idea. I went in and it was nice, I had never been in one before, pretty much like an
ACME but with some "different " "soul" food in the cases, otherwise no different.
It only occurred to me later that while base commissaries were integrated every hour of the day,
the local GIANT was not.
I didn't realize that this was the equivalent of a black supermarket in "that part of town".
The manager ( I remember his Maroon bow tie ) and his assistant approached me rather timidly
and started apologizing profusely for not being ready? They thought I was the County Health inspector!
I said no harm, I know we all look alike, and we laughed. He was going to let me take anything I wanted for free.
No need, I said, I need change for the court house, and a frozen treat for a special officer or two over there.
When I returned with my cash I handed the smirking officers each a typical frozen Eskimo pie,
"Compliments of the Piggly Wiggly manager",
their smirks disappeared, the cashier, a black woman, could barely contain her glee.
True story, lol.
Now we did learn about the underground railroad.
I was trying to remember some things yet it seems so long ago... Haha
I obtained all of my schooling from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania...including college.
We were taught that slavery was the cause of the war and that the South started it. The actual truth of the war and the antebellum years. We weren't taught that slaves were family but were given the background of the Underground RR which rumors floated that some of the areas where some us lived were part of it
We did take a field trip to a civil war battle ground.
I have been fortunate enough to visit Gettysburg many times. Antietam, Bull Run and others.
Nearly all of the residents of Beaufort SC moved to TX when the UNion came a knocking and turned
the town into a virtual field hospital. The church pews were used to support the largest gravestones
which were used for operating tables. After the war the grave stones were placed back on their respective sites, with all of the scoring
and saw marks from the amputations. Local battlefields are maintained as such but there is basically nothing there.
There are 2 museums in Beaufort, neither touch on slavery. Just photos, old uniforms and cannons, muskets and rifles.
The best in the area which points out all Port Royal battle sites is actually the USMC Museum of Paris Island,
accessible to the public during reasonable hours.
The Texas Republicans are having so much success with their restrictive laws, with support from that Republican SCOTUS, that I wouldn't be surprised if they were to pass a law that only white Christians are allowed to vote, and to have babies.