Federal court hears Texas redistricting challenge

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill




July 10, 2017 - 10:21 AM EDT

BY REID WILSON

A panel of federal judges in San Antonio on Monday will begin hearing arguments in a lawsuit challenging Texas’s congressional district lines in one of the most consequential legal debates over the way legislators draw political boundaries.

The case is the latest in a litigation battle that has raged since 2011, when civil rights groups sued, claiming Texas district lines illegally discriminated against minorities. Texas legislators adopted new maps in 2013, drawn by a federal court, and now those maps are coming under scrutiny.

The three-judge panel that will hear arguments in the case beginning Monday said earlier this year that the state legislature had improperly, and intentionally, diluted the political power of minority voters in three of those districts. The judges also ruled that several state House districts violated minorities’ civil rights.

The civil rights groups who sued over the court-drawn 2013 maps say they were meant to be temporary. They have asked the court to force new changes to the district lines ahead of the 2018 elections.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/341258-federal-court-hears-texas-redistricting-challenge

[LonePirate]

1. TX will fight this all the way to SCOTUS. There is no way they are giving up seats voluntarily.

Last edited Mon Jul 10, 2017, 12:57 PM - Edit history (1)

Repubs stand to lose 2 seats at a minimum and maybe 4 or more if the fed court rules against them. They will take this case as far as they can.

[Gothmog]

3. This case is limited to racial gerrymandering and is designed to appeal to J. Kennedy

There are not partisan gerrymandering issues in this case and so far the court has been very conservative in its rulings. This case is designed to appeal to Justice Kennedy on pure racial gerrymandering

The estimates from one of the attorneys in the case is 3 to 7 Congressional seats any hopefully 10 state house seats.

[Gothmog]

2. I am following this case closely

The Brennan Center will hopefully post daily updates

[Gothmog]

4. Michael Li of the Brennan Center is live tweeting the trial

Trey Martinez Fischer (TMF) was just on.

Link to tweet

This tweeter feed will be distracting me today

[LeftInTX]

5. Thx...will follow him

[Gothmog]

6. Michael Li is a Texas attorney who is very knowledgeable on this case

Michael Li used to be in Dallas and had one one of the best blogs on Texas election law. Li is now with the Brennan Center and knows this case very very well.