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SC Upholds Most of Texas Redistricting


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MSNBC.com-

 

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld most of the Texas congressional map engineered by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay but threw out part, saying some of the new boundaries failed to protect minority voting rights.

 

The fractured decision was a small victory for Democratic and minority groups who accused Republicans of an unconstitutional power grab in drawing boundaries that booted four Democratic incumbents out of office.

 

Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, writing for the majority, said Hispanics do not have a chance to elect a candidate of their choosing under the plan.

 

Republicans picked up six Texas congressional seats two years ago, and the court?s ruling does not seriously threaten those gains. Lawmakers, however, will have to adjust boundary lines to address the court?s concerns.

 

At issue was the shifting of 100,000 Hispanics out of a district represented by a Republican incumbent and into a new, oddly shaped district. Foes of the plan had argued that that was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander under the Voting Rights Act, which protects minority voting rights.

 

On a different issue, the court ruled that state legislators may draw new maps as often as they like ? not just once a decade as Texas Democrats claimed. That means Democratic and Republican state lawmakers can push through new maps anytime there is a power shift at a state capital.

 

The Constitution says states must adjust their congressional district lines every 10 years to account for population shifts. In Texas the boundaries were redrawn twice after the 2000 census, first by a court, then by state lawmakers in a second round promoted by DeLay after Republicans took control.

 

That was acceptable, justices said.

 

Republicans had said the new map better reflected the voting patterns of the state and denied that minority voting rights were violated.

 

The map in question was steered through the Legislature by DeLay, who left Congress June 9 amid legal and ethical troubles, some stemming from the redistricting fight.

 

The new map gave Texas its first congressional delegation with a Republican majority since Reconstruction. The delegation has 21 Republicans and 11 Democrats. Under the previous boundaries, Democrats dominated 17-15.

 

The bold part of the article I find to be the biggest problem. I don't think it's fair at all to let either party redraw the district boundaries any time they want to. That can easily get out of control. It's also going to confuse the hell out of some people.

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The bold part of the article I find to be the biggest problem. I don't think it's fair at all to let either party redraw the district boundaries any time they want to. That can easily get out of control. It's also going to confuse the hell out of some people.

 

 

I agree with you. I think this particular Texas redraw, no matter how much I disagree with it, should be considered an exception in that the Courts drew the boundaries initially due to disputes between the two parties (aka, it wasn't done in the normal manner).

 

Personally I think there should be an external, non-partisan, suvery group that draws the boundaries. They'd be more fair.

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so this just means that whenever the democrats regain the texas congress its redrawn.

 

and they will enact revenge.

 

 

what fun.

 

 

And then the Republicans will be hiding out in OK to prevent a quorom?

 

perhaps.

 

that really was a funny episode.

 

 

good ole texas politics!

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Guest Juanky

Damn, the bolded part might make a huge mess of politics in the coming years.

 

While I'm not one of those that necessarily has a problem with district drawing as it is now, it should probably be just every ten years or so.

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Damn, the bolded part might make a huge mess of politics in the coming years.

 

While I'm not one of those that necessarily has a problem with district drawing as it is now, it should probably be just every ten years or so.

 

The part that I bolded is almost certainly going to make government even more partisan, and far more brutal. Every time a new party takes control of the state government, they will make sure everything favors them, which is unfair and better be enforced as illegal.

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life isnt fair neither should be politics i suppose democrats in the south gerry mandered districts and fixed primaries for 100 plus years now republicans are doing the same thing . i am still a believer in you can vote with your feet , live in a district , state , area that reflects your world view or live there with intention to change it ......as to fairness in politics i think only iowa seems to have the most impartial drawing of district lines which makes for competitve races ...interesting races

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