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Texas Redistricting-briefing ordered on State AG Plan
The State of Texas and a couple of the hispanic plaintiff groups agreed to a map that was pretty bad. The three judge panel order the parties to prepare briefing on that map http://txredistricting.org/post/17788524732/san-antonio-court-orders-briefing-on-plan-h303
Plan H303 is proposed by the State of Texas and the Texas Latino Redistricting Task Force as a compromise plan. Although the Mexican-American Legislative Caucus have said that they can agree with parts of the plan, they say additional changes need to be made to address additional claims of intentional discrimination.
I think that this map has problems with splitting minority communities. I am watching to see what happens to HD26 in Fort Bend County. This district is going to be open and the GOP drew it to a heavy republican district. The original interim plan prepared by the three judge panel had this district as a 50/50 district. Hopefully the final district will be closer to what the three judge panel approved.
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I'm heartbroken because it throws Lloyd Doggett out.
AAS 2/17/12
Mexican American Legislative Caucus agrees to congressional district that pushes Doggett out of CD 25
The second of two major plaintiffs’ groups that have sued the state over redistricting maps today signed off on a large chunk of the congressional plan.
The Mexican American Legislative Caucus joined the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund in agreeing to a Central Texas congressional redistricting district that also has been advocated by Attorney General Greg Abbott.
MALC said Congressional District 35 is “constitutionally permissible,” said the caucus’ chairman, state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio.
(snip)
Such a district would have ripple effects for Travis County. Specifically, it would make the Congressional District 25 nearly impossible for U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, to win again.
Doggett has said that he would not run in the version of District 25 that is now supported by MALC and MALDEF.
Mexican American Legislative Caucus agrees to congressional district that pushes Doggett out of CD 25
The second of two major plaintiffs’ groups that have sued the state over redistricting maps today signed off on a large chunk of the congressional plan.
The Mexican American Legislative Caucus joined the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund in agreeing to a Central Texas congressional redistricting district that also has been advocated by Attorney General Greg Abbott.
MALC said Congressional District 35 is “constitutionally permissible,” said the caucus’ chairman, state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio.
(snip)
Such a district would have ripple effects for Travis County. Specifically, it would make the Congressional District 25 nearly impossible for U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, to win again.
Doggett has said that he would not run in the version of District 25 that is now supported by MALC and MALDEF.
Burnt Orange Report 2/17/12
Redistricting Updates: The Good, The Bad, The Ironic
The Bad:
(snip)
Update 7:00 p.m. Clarification: it is not true that MALC endorsed the version of CD-35 that MALDEF supports -- rather, MALC's lawyers asserted that the MALDEF-supported version of CD-35 is not unconstitutional. They are not officially endorsing this version of the map at this time, merely stating that legally, they do not view CD-35 in the Abbott/MALDEF incarnation to be unconstitutional. That's a big difference than what was widely reported earlier today -- that MALC is endorsing this version of CD-35.
The Travis County Plaintiffs and NAACP understandably still oppose this version of CD-35 given its impact on CD-25. Their argument is that the coalition of minority voters and white voters who also choose the minority voters' candidate form a legally protected cross-over district, and can't be split apart. This is the the same argument that led to a settlement over SD-10, so ideally any Congressional settlement should in turn restore CD-25 to an Austin cross-over district.
Redistricting Updates: The Good, The Bad, The Ironic
The Bad:
(snip)
Update 7:00 p.m. Clarification: it is not true that MALC endorsed the version of CD-35 that MALDEF supports -- rather, MALC's lawyers asserted that the MALDEF-supported version of CD-35 is not unconstitutional. They are not officially endorsing this version of the map at this time, merely stating that legally, they do not view CD-35 in the Abbott/MALDEF incarnation to be unconstitutional. That's a big difference than what was widely reported earlier today -- that MALC is endorsing this version of CD-35.
The Travis County Plaintiffs and NAACP understandably still oppose this version of CD-35 given its impact on CD-25. Their argument is that the coalition of minority voters and white voters who also choose the minority voters' candidate form a legally protected cross-over district, and can't be split apart. This is the the same argument that led to a settlement over SD-10, so ideally any Congressional settlement should in turn restore CD-25 to an Austin cross-over district.
Well I still don't know what to make of this. MALDEF settling with Abbott. MALC is not endorsing the plan, just saying that CD35 is permissible. That still sounds like an endorsement to me.
