Fort Worth Democrat says Texas Senate redistricting map violates voting rights

[white cloud]

Fort Worth Democrat says Texas Senate redistricting map violates voting rights

AUSTIN -- Accusing the state Senate's Republican leaders of a "shameful partisan attack," Sen. Wendy Davis said Tuesday that a new redistricting map for her Tarrant County senatorial district violates the federal Voting Rights Act by ripping apart a powerful minority coalition that was crucial to her election over a Republican incumbent in 2008.

After reviewing the map for the first time Tuesday, the Fort Worth Democrat fired off an angry letter to the head of the Senate Select Committee on Redistricting and said she plans legal action to challenge the plan, which revamps her 10th senatorial district.

"I'm very sure we will be in a court battle," Davis told the Star-Telegram.

Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, chairman of the redistricting committee, is expected to release the proposed map for the state's 31 Senate districts today. The committee plans a hearing Thursday to take public testimony.



Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/05/10/3065989/fort-worth-democrat-says-texas.html#ixzz1M4YjaTsx

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/05/10/3065989/fort-worth-democrat-says-texas.html#ixzz1M4YSoObW

[sonias]

1. Oh man is it ugly

Texas Tribune has the proposed map

Texas Tribune 5/11/11
New Texas Senate District Maps Proposed

Travis County would get two new out-of-town senators, and Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, would be squeezed into a district designed for a Republican, in political maps proposed by Senate Redistricting Chairman Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo.

Seliger's map was shown to senators this morning and unveiled for the public this afternoon. He'll hold the first committee hearing on the plan on Thursday morning at the state Capitol.

The map splits Taylor County between Republican Sens. Robert Duncan of Lubbock and Troy Fraser of Horseshoe Bay. Travis County's Sen. Kirk Watson, a Democrat, would lose some turf to Fraser, and to Democratic Sen. Judith Zaffirini of Laredo. Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, has part of Travis County now and in the Seliger plan.

The district represented by Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, would go into Tarrant County in the new plan, taking part of Davis' district and pushing her to the north, where there are more Republicans.

:grr:

[sonias]

2. How goofy is Travis plan? It's off the charts

AAS Editorial 5/12/11

How goofy is Travis plan? It's off the charts

(snip)
Zaffirini was visibly upset about something all Travis County residents should be upset about: The proposed state Senate redistricting map that would divide the county (now split into two districts) into four districts. Included is one — Zaffirini's — that would stretch to the U.S.-Mexico border.

"How can Starr County have a community of interest with Travis County?" Zaffirini, mentioning a significant redistricting concept, asked Seliger.

(snip)
Watson, noting what the proposal does to East Austin, told the committee its proposed map "divides the minority community right at the beltline of the minority neighborhoods."

Zaffirini noted that an area four blocks from the Capitol would be represented by a Laredoan and be in a district with people in Starr County along the border.

Goofy? Oh come on you can use a stronger word than that one. It's self serving republican control - it's also called "gerrymandering" or "packing a district" :mad:

[plumbob]

3. Voting rights? So 1964.

The Kochs and their various suckers are in charge now, baby.




Hope they all get just what they deserve. Quickly.

[AlanCranston]

4. I saw Jodie Laubenberg's congressional map

It reminds me of the 1990s districts in Georgia. It was basically a huge dummymander that resulted in Georgia going from 9-1 D in 1991 to 8-3 R by 1997. If another 1974 like wave year happens again, it could result in an 18-18 delegation.