Wendy Davis' Texas Senate Seat Was Saved By Voting Rights Act

[Tx4obama]

Wendy Davis' Texas Senate Seat Was Saved By Voting Rights Act

Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis (D), who captivated the country with her attempted 13-hour filibuster of a sweeping anti-abortion bill, likely would have lost her seat in 2012 to redistricting if not for the Voting Rights Act that was gutted Tuesday by the U.S. Supreme Court.

MSNBC's Zachary Roth reported earlier this month that Republican leaders in Texas tried to slice up Davis' Fort Worth district in 2011 and move thousands of black and Hispanic voters into neighboring districts. But Davis challenged the move in federal court under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act -- a part of the law rendered inoperable by the Supreme Court decision that struck down the heart of the law.

Section 5 allows the federal government to prevent states with a history of racial discrimination from making election changes that could affect the voting rights of minorities. Davis told MSNBC that under Texas' new districting plan, minority voters “were being separated very purposely from each other -- and therefore from the power to ever express their preference at the ballot box again.”

Davis and the U.S. Justice Department won the case in August 2012, a few months before elections, and Texas was forced to drop its redistricting plan. Davis was narrowly reelected to her state Senate seat in November.

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The future of Davis' Senate district is unclear now that the Supreme Court has removed the legislature's biggest obstacle to redistricting.

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Full article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/26/wendy-davis-voting-rights-act_n_3500171.html

[still_one]

1. It won't matter, Democrats are organized in Texas, and people will get those IDs. In addition, the

the war on women that was declared against women today in Texas, will seal the repukes fate

I believe the republicans are self-destructing before our eyes.

Just like 2012, the media and the republicans are out of touch with reality

[hamsterjill]

3. I tend to agree.

Texas is turning blue. The only question is how long it's going to take. And in my opinion, the Republicans helped that process along a great deal yesterday!!! LOL LOL LOL

[Politicalboi]

2. Couldn't they

Sign you up to vote, when you sign up for Obamacare? And make your ID card for health care good for voting.

[Jamaal510]

5. No, because you know...

that's cheating. That's gubbermint overreach.

[Cha]

4. K&R thanks Tx