Redistrictingonline Monthly Redistricting Update (March 2017)

By EditorApr 04, 2017

Politics Roll Call interviews National Democratic Redistricting Committee Executive Director Kelly Ward about its strategy going into 2020: Watch: Inside the Democrat Party’s National Redistricting Strategy In-Depth Late in 2016, PBS’s American Law Journal gave an in-depth treatment of gerrymandering in Pennsylvania. Hosts interview lawmakers, review the technology behind redistricting and cover reform efforts: Watch: PBS Covers Pennsylvania Gerrymandering and Reform In-Depth Litigation Six years in the making, a federal district court panel released its opinion late last month in the long arduous litigation we call Texas Redistricting. We explain what that means and survey the news coverage in Texas Congressional Districts Invalidated by…

RedistrictingArizona, Florida, reform, Texas, texas redistricting, Virginia

Texas Attorney General’s Statement on Redistricting Court Ruling

By EditorMar 17, 2017

Texas - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton released this statement on Monday regarding a federal district court panel's 2-1 ruling that finds several congressional districts drawn by the Texas legislature to be unconstitutional. Click here for more analysis of the case: “We respectfully disagree with the redistricting panel’s majority decision. As Fifth Circuit Judge Jerry Smith observed in his dissent, the challenge to the old 2011 maps - which were never in effect - is moot. The maps currently in use are not the ones adopted by the Texas Legislature in 2011, which are the subject of the court’s opinion. …

RedistrictingTexas, texas redistricting

What’s Next in Texas Redistricting

By EditorMar 17, 2017

On March 10th a federal district court panel in San Antonio Texas ruled that the State legislature’s 2011 congressional redistricting map was drawn in manner that violated the U.S. constitution. The court found several districts in the map were the product of intentional racial discrimination and minority vote dilution. While the ruling was a surprise, considering the case had been drawn out for nearly six years, it was also slightly anti-climactic since the ruling referred to a map that Texas no longer uses as its congressional districts. The court had drawn an interim map in 2012 after finding that some…

Redistricting, Redistricting Gerrymanders, Redistricting Race RulesBrennan Center, congressional, Latino, racial gerrymandering, state legislature, States, Texas, texas redistricting

Texas Congressional Districts Invalidated by Federal Court: News Coverage

By EditorMar 16, 2017

Texas - Six years in the making, the federal district court panel released its opinion late last week in the long arduous litigation we call Texas Redistricting. This 2-1 decision is only the beginning since it is in regard to the state legislature's 2011 map, which has since been replaced. The court has yet to consider the 2013 map, which is in place currently, and the state legislative map for the lower house. What is the importance of this decision on a now defunct map? The court could require Texas to return to the preclearance regime, which was overturned in…

Redistricting, Redistricting Gerrymanders, Redistricting Litigationcongressional, redistricting, Texas, texas redistricting, Voting Rights Act

Texas Three-Judge Court Cites “Voluminous” Record as Reason Why it Will Take Its Sweet Time on Texas Redistricting

By EditorJan 08, 2017

San Antonio, Texas - Its the biggest, most watched redistricting litigation of the decade; but the Texas redistricting case(s) began in 2011 and no ruling has been forthcoming by the federal district court panel tasked to resolve it. Plaintiff's recently filed a request for the court to make a final decision and the court responded this week with an epic list of just how in the weeds they are with the paperwork. The judges wrote: "The Court continues to diligently work through this voluminous record and the complex legal questions presented in this case and will issue an opinion as…

Redistricting, Redistricting Gerrymanders, Redistricting Race RulesTexas, texas redistricting

Unpacking the Texas Voter ID Decision

By EditorJul 27, 2016

Philadelphia, Pa. - Lyle Denniston of The Nation Constitution Center in Philadelphia writes this thorough review of the Circuit Court's decision in Veasey et al. v. Abbott, which significantly modifies implementation of Texas' voter ID law. It was a 203 page opinion, Denniston details the reasoning of the plurality, concurrences and the dissent. Read more here.

Redistricting, Redistricting Race RulesNational Constitution Center, Texas, voter ID

Meet the Man Behind the Texas Voter ID Lawsuit

By EditorJul 26, 2016

Texas - U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey was a state legislator in Texas when that body passed a comprehensive Voter Identification law. He had misgivings after witnessing the legislative debate and eventually sued. North Texas public radio's Rick Holter sat down with Veasey, who represents Texas' 33rd congressional district, to discuss what brought him to sue and whether he thinks the recent Fifth Circuit ruling will relieve the harms he says it causes to some voters. Listen below.

Redistricting, Redistricting Litigation, Redistricting Race RulesTexas, voter ID

Texas Appeals Court Rejects Voter ID Law. Sort of

By EditorJul 25, 2016

Texas - This Wednesday the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals dealt a major blow to the 2011 Texas Voter ID law which has been in effect now since 2013. The main legal challenge against this law, which specifies 7 types of photo identification that must be used to register and vote - has been that it violates the Voting Right Act both because it was passed by the legislature with an intent to discriminate against poor and minority voters and because in practice, it has a discriminatory effect on those groups. With respect to the discriminatory effect claim, the…

Casedocs, Redistricting, Redistricting Litigation, Redistricting Race RulesTexas, voter ID

Evenwel SCOTUS Decision News and Analysis Round Up

By EditorApr 05, 2016

The first round of media, academia and policy wonks have weighed in on the somewhat surprising unanimous decision by the Supreme Court this week in the much anticipated equal population case Evenwel v. Abbott. Here is the News Analysis Round-up: How A Challenge to Legislative Redistricting Backfired. The Atlantic CVAP (Citizens of Voting Age Population) Lives to Fight Another Day. Forbes The Supreme Court upheld ‘one person, one vote.’ But don’t expect the battle over counting Americans to end. Wash. Post Analysis: In Texas Case, Supreme Court Rules Nonvoters are People, Too. Texas Tribune District Fight May…

RedistrictingEvenwel, Supreme Court, Texas, washington dc

Weekly Redistricting Update

By EditorNov 17, 2015

Florida: State Legislature Cries "Uncle," Gives Up On a Legislative District Map Last week the Florida Legislature ended its second special redistricting session without a map for state senate districts. Senate leaders are throwing the issue back to the court, and have proposed that the court have a special master draw the map. This "proposal" reflects many senators' disapproval of the court's handling of the congressional map redraw, which invited parties to the litigation to propose maps instead of having a more neutral party redraw the lines. A court hearing is schedule for December 14th. Virginia: Supreme Court Will…

RedistrictingFlorida, Texas, texas redistricting, Virginia