Did the 2003 redistricting plan erode minority voting rights? The US Supreme Court will figure it out!
Remember way back in 2003? When we had state senators fleeing Texas in order to not show up to a special session of the Legislature that had to deal with the redistricting of Texas so that Republicans would have more representatives.
Well a group of voters decided to challenge the redistricting plan primarily because it wasn't a response to a census report and they feel it has violated the Voting Rights Act. The Justice Department approved the map, amid objections from staff members that it did infact violate the Voting Rights Act by destroying minority districts which resulted in the Republican party picking up five U.S House seats in 2004.
Former U.S. House Republican Leader, Tom Delay was the engineer of the redistricting plan that many say diluted minority voting rights by creating districts in which the minorities lost their voices.
I still remember one of the nastiest campaigns in 2004, which was the result of the redistricting, and that was the race between Pete Sessions and Martin Frost. Which wouldn't have happen had the redistricting plan been ruled unconstitutional by the Justice Department.
Now the Supreme Court will be hearing the case in February to see if the voting rights of Latinos and African Americans were taken away due to the new district plan. One of the issues is whether lawmakers can break up a district that is heavily populated by Latinos and African Americans even if they are not the majority in that district. The second issue is focusing on a district that was 300 miles long and connected two major cities in Texas.
I asked for a response from all the U.S. and Texas Senators and Representatives from the North Texas districts, in regards to what they felt about the Supreme Court weighing in this issue.
Well I am still waiting......atleast for the Republicans to respond!
I did however get a statement from Democratic State Representative for District 109, which includes parts of South Dallas, Cedar Hill, Lancaster, and Desoto, Helen Giddings.
“I am pleased that the Supreme Court will be reviewing the redistricting of Texas. Clearly a majority of the people of this great state were against the plan that was adopted by the Legislature”.
This is going the be the first major event in Texas Politics for 2006 and will be affecting the voting rights of ALL registered Latino and African American voters in Texas for the 2006 elections.
I will do my best to bring you all the information on this once the Supreme Court rules on the redistricting plan.
