Redistricting Experts Struggle to Fix Maps, Elections
Updated, 6:46 pm
The judges closed out the day by telling the lawyers to wrap things up. Judge Orlando Garcia asked the lawyers for the state and for MALC how far apart they were; hearing that they were down to a one-seat difference in the number of minority districts in their maps, he urged them to come to agreement. He also told the attorneys in the room to work out their differences over the state Senate maps.
The judges also appeared at the end of today's hearing to have ruled out split primaries — due to cost — and April ...
Comments (10)
Steven Schrom via Texas Tribune on Facebook
come on, man!
Mike Openshaw via Texas Tribune on Facebook
There is no possible way to satisfy all the plaintiffs (short of just giving over the state to the party that doesn't even hold a third of the legislature and hasn't won a statewide election forever.) Just take the compromise maps presented, give up on keeping Anglo democrat incumbents happy and move on.
Rudy Gonzales
If everyone is present for the discussion, and all the lawyers are huddled together making arrangements, make sure they are all in the same room and lock the door without food or water and no bathroom breaks. If these Yayhoos don't get it right the first time, Texas will have very little to do or say with choosing who will lose to president Obama.
This is a re-post from February 7th. Obviously The Texas Attorney General didn't get the message. The judges said everyone get to work, not just the Texas Attorney General. Re-read and GET TO WORK!
NOT - "Attorney General Greg Abbott announced he had reached agreement on most parts of the maps with most of the parties involved. Here's then good part===> "Notably absent from the deal are the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, the Legislative Black Caucus, the NAACP, the so-called Davis plaintiffs and the Texas Democratic Party, which sued over the Senate district maps in Tarrant County."
AGAIN!===>Get back to work!!! Don't stop until it's done!!!! Get Back to work!!!
Glen Hill
I have a hard time understanding why we have to divide the State racially political. When we elect someone one hopes we have all selected the most qualified candidate who is going to fully serve all the people in the districe.
gypsy314 ne
We the people have voted and put people in place to draw the maps and the liberal democrats have decide again to try and cheat Texas votes out of voting. Now we have three liberal judges that want to make sure someone is there for the census illegal aliens that should have never been allow to fill out a census form. Now they have been count as Americans and we now have to been over for them and the democrats cry to get them to vote. I say counter sue and tar and feather all democrats and send home with Obama.
Anyone BUT Obama and democrats.
Jack Dupy
This is absoluty insane. There are folks out there who are running for things like county commisoners, Tax Assesors and the like who have put money on campaign items with a voting date and they keep having to change it. Why? because of this small group of people and three judges cant get this worked out. What really funny is that I guess the State revovles around San Antoino. Not sure why. Im willing to bet this as nothing to do with the folks in Texas Panhandle who probably want to vote and get this done. There even a chance we get to miss the GOP nomination. That makes Texas look real good. Keep it the 3rd and lets get this over with. This is truely ridiculous.
jimrtex
The judges just wanted to cruise the Texas Primary close to the Italian island to get a better view.
Back in January, they should have just ordered that all the primaries other than for congress and the legislature take place on April 3. They could have opened up filing for a couple of days to let any politicians who had jumped into a legislative race, to go back to running for re-election for local office.
There would have been relative few election precinct changes, and the election would have gone off OK with 3 races not on the ballot.
This would have given time for the courts to work on the districts, and IF they had them ready by late March, they could have been added to a late May runoff. Only 21% of legislative and congressional primaries are contested (2 or more candidates). It takes no effort to hold an election with zero candidates, and almost no effort to declare a single candidate the nominee.
If there were election precincts that were split, the polling location could be retained, and voters directed to the correct voting machine. And remember at early voting, voters from 100s of precincts can vote and get the correct ballot. In general elections, election precincts often have split ballots due to city, school, and special district elections. Adding races to a ballot should have very little incremental cost.
If the primary is delayed until June 29, and election officials need 70 days to get ready for the runoff, the runoff would be September 7. Another 70 days, and you would have a general election on November 16.
Janet Thomas
Every voter in Texas has been disenfranchised. This all about LULAC, La Raza and MALDEF wanting to turn Texas into a state where they control who's in politics, which means those politicians must have a Spanish surname. I saw them in action in Austin during the last legislative session. I can only imagine if the tables were turned, the democrat party would never have put up with this. Texas voters, whether they're Republican or Democrat need to remember this.
Rudy Gonzales
There are poor reasons and discussions on the Texas redistricted maps put forth here and other places. The real issue is the less than adequate representation of the lower and middle class people in Texas and there are many Hispanic/Latino's who have no representation due to the Gerry-Mandered district's. The TEA-GOP-Republican majority have taken Texas to a one party state with just such tactics since Nixon was in office. The effects of a one-party state are troubling to say the least. It's not a minority issue but representation in every aspect. The minority runs and controls the taxes and every aspect of Texas now ant that is what needs to change. There is little to none minority representation across the state since the TEA joined the GOP-Republican party. Minorities have to work too many hours to make a living while the more affluent have the time and freedom to join groups and effect their agenda.
Mike Openshaw via Texas Tribune on Facebook
So this entire Voting Rights Act court case comes down to trying to protect ANGLO incumbents (because they're Democrats)??? This is just priceless!