Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act appears to be in danger of being overturned, according to various news outlets covering oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday.
redistricting
Posted in
Politics
Polling Center: The Partisan Split on Voting Rights
Overall, Texas voters — by a slight majority — believe the federal government should continue oversight of the state’s changes in election laws, according to the October 2012 University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. But partisans are split.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Bill Would Count Prisoners Differently in Redistricting
Resuscitating the 2011 redistricting battle, two lawmakers have filed bills requiring the state to count prisoners at their last home address rather than where they are incarcerated. They say it cheats urban districts out of representatives.
Posted inState Government
Senators Draw Lots to Determine Terms
The Texas Senate relied on chance Wednesday to determine which of them would serve for four years and which would serve for two years. For some legislators, the luck of the draw could have bigger political implications.
Posted in
State Government
State Officials Seek End to Federal Election Oversight
The U.S. Supreme Court may determine the fate of a key provision of the Voting Rights Act that became an Achilles’ heel for Republican lawmakers this year. That could free Texas from federal oversight in election laws.
Posted in
State Government
You’ve Got Mail, Mr. Speaker
The letters dribbling into House Speaker Joe Straus’ mailbox raise questions about the House’s redistricting last session, but that’s just a way for his rivals to raise questions about his leadership.
Posted in
State Government
Texas Appeals Redistricting Decision; Elections to Proceed
As expected, the state of Texas is appealing a federal court decision throwing out Legislature’s redistricting maps, Attorney General Greg Abbott announced Friday. The appeal, however, won’t affect the current elections.
Posted in
State Government
TribLive: A Conversation with Greg Abbott
At Thursday’s TribLive conversation, I talked with Attorney General Greg Abbott about voter ID, redistricting, the cost of suing the feds 24 times and whether he’s going to run for governor.
Posted in
State Government
A Democrat Challenges Straus on Redistricting
If a federal court decides that the state intentionally discriminated when drawing its new political maps, is it more difficult for Texas lawyers to argue against Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act? And is it fuel for the constant struggle over the leadership of the Texas House?
Posted in
State Government
Simpson Joins Criticism of House Redistricting
One of the House’s most conservative members said Friday he is “pretty dismayed” about redistricting conversations revealed in a stern letter to House Speaker Joe Straus from a top Democratic legislator.
