Supreme Court Nixes Judge-Drawn Redistricting Maps
The U.S. Supreme Court threw out court-drawn Texas redistricting maps on Friday morning, saying a panel of federal judges should have used the Legislature's maps as their starting point.
That's a victory for the state, which argued for the Legislature's maps. But it still leaves Texas without maps for the primary elections this spring, and probably ensures that those elections will be held later than April 3, the currently scheduled date.
Both maps would result in strong Republican majorities in the Texas House, Senate and congressional delegations. But the Legislature's maps were more strongly Republican ...
Comments (13)
Sean Riley via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Whether the "community organizer" lobby likes it or not, the Texas state legislature represents the will of the people, NOT the Eric Holder-run Justice Department.
Luisa Inez Newton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
so, a compromise will be made between the two maps & the whores of the Texas GOP will pump up their chests for more screwing of Texas citizens
Mike Openshaw via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The article slant is ridiculous. The courts map assigned ALL new congressional seats to Democrats- despite MAJOR population growth (by emigration) in Republican areas. The court's maps were drawn to benefit a particular political party, not ethnic minorities; the salvation of districts for Anglo Democrats, while drawing tough races for non-Anglo Republicans proves that.
Garvin
An extreme activist court that leans hard right naturally would rule this way. It is apalling.
Griffin Bunnell via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Just because it is not fox "news" does not mean it is slanted. Stick with your drudge, hannity, and rush if you think the Texas Tribune is slanted.
richard kidwell
So, Supreme Court says we don't like the way you drew the interim map so try again. So presumably the new interim map will be challenged and we will be back where we started.
Mike Openshaw via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Griffin, of course BOTH are slanted. But refute one FACT I stated above about the judicial maps. The judicial maps were thrown out by a UNANIMOUS decision of the Supreme Court, including the most liberal members. Anyone who considers ALL members of the Court as 'hard right' is delusional.
Jose B. Gonzalez via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Threw out the judges maps, but didn't order the legislature maps reinstated - instead ordered the three judges to come up with a new plan... That solves nothing!!! Heck, what exactly does a new plan mean - politicians can twist that order in any direction they wish... Wish they would've just made a firm stance & made a firm ruling...
Ross Ramsey
Mike: Here's an index on the partisan results in the last two elections in the current map, the Legislature's remap, and the court's remap.
http://d2o6nd3dubbyr6.cloudfront.net/media/documents/twi-allthree-0810.pdf
Mike Openshaw via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Well, Ross: since the Supreme Court voted UNANIMOUSLY to scrap the judicial map. If even the most LIBERAL Justices thought the court's took the wrong approach, you might want to consider they did. If the Voting Rights Act considerations were applied to maximize minority representation in elected office, the courts should draw to protect those minorities who manage to get elected in Anglo-centric districts (who- surprise!- all seem to be Republicans!), while considering focusing ethnic minority areas irrespective of Anglo incumbents. Of course, if they did that, the Democrat Party (which has yet to be declared an 'ethnic minority' would take a BIG hit). And that's to be avoided at all costs, right?
gypsy314 ne
The Courts made the correct call the people votes should never be cheated by a bunch of liberals thief's that cry when they do not get there way. Besides we all know that the illegal aliens were counted when they should not have been.
This is one of many changes coming for the liberals cheats.
Anyone but Obama!
Remember a vote for a democrat is a vote for Obama and illegal aliens , homosexuals and terrorist.
lewis ramsey
Actually, what the Supreme Court did was change the law. I will be kind and say they clarified the law. The question they settled was what is the status of legislative drawn maps before they have been pre-cleared and they are before another court on their legality. It was thought that when drawing interim maps under those circumstances that those maps were to be disregarded and the court was to draw interim maps based upon well settled principals of compactness, community of interest, county lines, etc. The Supreme Court said that the interim maps should reflect the policy considerations of the non-precleared maps unless they are in conflict with the constitution and the Voting Rights Acts. The practical results of this is that all four new congressional districts can be minority but the San Antonio court cannot reverse the policy decision of the legislature to split Austin and Travis County into a dozen congressional districts. The reason it was 9-0 is that a block of the court wanted to let the legislature maps be used in the interim and a block of the court wanted the legislature map to have no effect. So the compromise struck will preserve the essential features of the Voting Rights Act , that is preserving the voing power of minorities.
gypsy314 ne
The courts finally have it right the people elected the rep. to do there job with the maps and they have. The losing democrats did not like it and are using race as a play to change the maps supreme court see threw the democrats playing the race card and crying because Obama can not cheat the voters of Texas by using Holder and crew to cheat. I say to the democrats if the shoe was on the other foot you would be saying the people have made there choice. Well get over it democrats it you do not like it go to Ill. or were every democrats go.
I say to all Americans Obama MUST go he is a traitor to America and will not stop until he has destroyed America.
Anyone but Obama!
Remember a vote for Democrats is a vote for Obama and illegal aliens , homosexuals and terrorist.