Redistricting

How the Texas redistricting lawsuit outlived a voter who sued

by Jim Malewitz and Alexa Ura

The six-year battle over the state’s redistricting plan illustrates how a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling four years ago has shifted the burden in challenges of such laws. Full Story 

Analysis: How do they cheat thee? Count the ways

by Ross Ramsey

Legislative majorities often cheat when they're drawing political maps, but a case argued this week in the U.S. Supreme Court could put new limits on lawmaker decisions about who represents whom. Full Story 

Pasadena drops appeal, will remain under federal oversight of election laws

by Alexa Ura

Following a Pasadena City Council vote to settle a voting rights lawsuit over how it redrew its council districts in 2013, the city will remain under federal oversight for any changes to its voting laws until 2023 — the only setup of its kind in Texas. Full Story 

Analysis: Forget about new political maps — probably

by Ross Ramsey

The nation's highest court says Texas should use the political maps it already has in place while litigation over those maps continues. But the courts have been known to change the maps in the middle of election years. Full Story 

Supreme Court puts redrawing of Texas political maps on hold

by Alexa Ura and Jim Malewitz

In separate orders issued Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked two lower court rulings that invalidated parts of the state's congressional and House maps where lawmakers were found to have discriminated against voters of color, putting on hold efforts to redraw those maps. Full Story 

Here's a look at where things stand in Texas redistricting court battle

by Alexa Ura

With the clock ticking toward the 2018 elections, here's a status update on Texas' long-winding redistricting court battle. Full Story 

U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocks ruling against Texas House map

by Alexa Ura

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday temporarily put on hold a lower court ruling that invalidated nine of Texas' 150 House seats. Full Story 

Analysis: The Texas Legislature’s persistent discrimination

by Ross Ramsey

Texas lawmakers have now been popped by federal judges seven or eight times in recent years for intentionally discriminating against minority voters with voter ID and redistricting legislation. Think they’ve got a problem? Full Story 

U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocks ruling against Texas congressional map

by Alexa Ura and Jim Malewitz

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday temporarily put on hold a lower court ruling that invalidated two of Texas' 36 congressional districts. Full Story 

Texas House map must be redrawn, federal court says

by Alexa Ura and Jim Malewitz

Federal judges on Thursday found fault with some of the state’s 150 state House districts, which must now be redrawn ahead of the 2018 elections. Full Story 

Puzzling shapes: Travel across this gerrymandered Texas district

by Jim Malewitz, Alexa Ura, Chris Essig and Matthew Zhang

As part of our Lock The Vote series, we examine a key piece of Republicans’ 2011 redistricting strategy, which courts said discriminated against minorities: U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett’s curiously-shaped 35th Congressional District. Full Story 

With Supreme Court appeal, Texas wants to keep congressional map intact

by Jim Malewitz

Attorney General Ken Paxton revealed that Texas has no plans to ask lawmakers to redraw the state's Congressional map in a fresh round of legislative overtime. Instead, Paxton is appealing the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. Full Story 

Texas backs Wisconsin in battle to protect partisan gerrymandering

by Jim Malewitz

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is backing Wisconsin in a high-profile case asking the U.S. Supreme Court whether lawmakers can go too far when drawing political maps to advantage one party. Full Story 

Hey, Texplainer: Will Texans ever get a remedy for the state's alleged illegal redistricting?

by Alex Samuels and Jim Malewitz

If judges ultimately agree that Texas’ current political boundaries discriminate against minority voters, we could see new maps ahead of the 2018 elections. Judges could also impose a more consequential penalty. Full Story 

At tail end of Texas redistricting trial, judges skeptical of state's defense

by Jim Malewitz

A three-judge panel peppered state lawyers with questions on Saturday that suggested they were having trouble swallowing the state’s defense of political maps that minority groups say minimize the political clout of Latino and black Texans. Full Story 

On day 5 of redistricting trial, Texas rebuts claim that current political maps discriminate

by Jim Malewitz

As lawyers for Texas defended the state's political maps against charges of intentional discrimination, a lawmaker at the center of the case invoked "legislative privilege" Friday to avoid answering some questions. Full Story 

Analysis: A 2018 Texas legislative battle map, federal courts willing

by Ross Ramsey

Democrats have some chances to pick up seats in the Texas House next year, with a dozen Republicans defending seats in politically wobbly districts. But watch those redistricting judges in San Antonio before you make any bets. Full Story 

In court, redistricting battle puts sharper focus on 2013 Legislature

by Jim Malewitz and Alexa Ura

As part of a weeklong trial, the state's legal foes are turning their attention to lawmakers' actions in 2013 in an effort to finally resolve years-long litigation over Texas' political maps. Full Story 

The storm at TABC, redistricting trials and the special session ahead (podcast)

by Ross Ramsey and Todd Wiseman

On this week's TribCast, Ross talks to Ayan, Alexa and Jay about high-level changes at the state's alcohol regulator, the redistricting trials underway in San Antonio and the special session that starts next Tuesday. Full Story 

Analysis: Telling Texas political fortunes is easy, with a map

by Ross Ramsey

It's true that three of the Republican incumbents in the Texas congressional delegation live in districts where Donald Trump lost, but unless judges change the state's political maps, two of those districts are still dominated by the GOP. Full Story