![]() Joan Huffman, who authored the maps and leads the Senate Redistricting Committee, told fellow lawmakers that they were "drawn blind to race." She said her legal team ensured the plan followed the Voting Rights Act. The plan does not create any additional districts where Black or Hispanic voters make up more than 50% of the voting population, even as people of color accounted for more than 9 of 10 new residents in Texas over the past decade. Democratic lawmakers twice walked out on an elections bill that tightened the state's already strict voting rules, which they called a brazen attempt to disenfranchise minorities and other Democratic-leaning voters. ![]() The maps that overhaul how Texas' nearly 30 million residents are sorted into political districts - and who is elected to represent them - bookends a highly charged year in the state over voting rights. But two years later, that same court said there was insufficient reason to take the extraordinary step of putting Texas back under federal supervision before changing voting laws or maps. Texas has been routinely dragged into court for decades over voting maps, and in 2017, a federal court found that a Republican-drawn map was drawn to intentionally discriminate against minority voters. Republicans have said they followed the law in defending the maps, which protect their slipping grip on Texas by pulling more GOP-leaning voters into suburban districts where Democrats have made inroads in recent years. The lawsuit alleges that Republican mapmakers diluted the political strength of minority voters by not drawing any new districts where Latino residents hold a majority, despite Latinos making up half of Texas' 4 million new residents over the last decade.Ībbott's office did not respond to a message seeking comment. Greg Abbott is expected to sign off on the changes.Ĭivil rights groups, including the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, sued before Republican lawmakers were even done Monday. Rafael Anchia said to the chamber just before the final vote. ![]() "What we are doing in passing this congressional map is a disservice to the people of Texas," Democratic state Rep. House maps that favor incumbents and decrease political representation for growing minority communities. Greg Abbott is expected to sign off on changes that Republicans approved Monday, redrawing the U.S.
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