Texas lawmakers illegally drew 3 voting districts on racial lines, court rules

christiefan915

christiefan915

Catalyst
Contributor
SAN ANTONIO, March 11 (Reuters) - Texas lawmakers drew up three U.S. congressional districts to undermine the influence of Hispanic voters, a divided panel of three federal judges ruled, in the latest development in a years-long battle over gerrymandering.

In the decision announced late on Friday, U.S. District Judges Xavier Rodriguez and Orlando Garcia in San Antonio found that the districts' shapes diluted minority voters' power, either by splitting communities into different districts or concentrating minorities in a single area to limit their sway.

"When done to minimize Hispanic electoral opportunity, it bears the mark of intentional discrimination," wrote Rodriguez and Garcia, who were appointed by former Republican President George W. Bush and former Democratic President Bill Clinton, respectively....

In the decision, the majority wrote that in redrawing the southwestern 23rd Congressional district, for example, map makers moved 600,000 voters between districts and fractured a heavily Latino county in a deliberate effort to lessen Hispanic voter turnout...

https://www.aol.com/article/news/20...w-3-voting-districts-on-racial-line/21879978/
 
Doesn't this seem contradictory?

""either by splitting communities into different districts or concentrating minorities in a single area to limit their sway.""
 
cawacko said:
Doesn't this seem contradictory?

""either by splitting communities into different districts or concentrating minorities in a single area to limit their sway.""
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Not really. I interpret it that minorities were put into major republican districts where their votes wouldn't affect the outcome the GOP wanted.

They did this in PA also, not with minorities but with Democrats v. Republicans.
 
In the decision announced late on Friday, U.S. District Judges Xavier Rodriguez and Orlando Garcia in San Antonio found that the districts' shapes diluted minority voters' power, either by splitting communities into different districts or concentrating minorities in a single area to limit their sway.
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And both judges are hispanic!!
 
Since the last round of redistricting, after the 2010 Census, [Pennsylvania’s] congressional map has been widely cited as one of the country’s most heavily gerrymandered – the term for when legislative maps are drawn to favor one party, either in a particular district or across an entire state.

One Washington Post analysis put the Delaware County-based 7[SUP]th[/SUP] in the nation’s top 10 most rigged congressional districts, based on its sprawling outline as it spreads across five counties.

The practice is usually carried out by state legislatures, which control redistricting in most states. The process happens after every Census, and after 2010 helped Republicans in Pennsylvania (and Democrats in some other states) tilt competitive areas in their favor, making swing districts a bit more friendly, and helping boost their numbers in Congress.

The meandering 7[SUP]th[/SUP] district, for example, was won by Democrats as recently as 2008. But Republican Pat Meehan took it in 2010, it was redrawn shortly after and he hasn’t seen a close election since.

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/capitolinq/PA-illustrates-Obama-call-gerrymandering.html
 
""In the decision, the majority wrote that in redrawing the southwestern 23rd Congressional district, for example, map makers moved 600,000 voters between districts and fractured a heavily Latino county in a deliberate effort to lessen Hispanic voter turnout.""


Is the implication here that Latino turnout would be less if there is not a Latino candidate running?
 
christiefan915 said:
Call me crazy but ya think maybe documents were provided as evidence?
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sure, they had all those documents saying "we want to be splitting communities into different districts or concentrating minorities in a single area to limit their sway"......they mailed copies to the DNC......
 
cawacko said:
Actually the VRA requires a certain amount of gerrymandering right? It requires certain majority minority areas?
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Texas 02 is the definition of the word "gerrymandering." Crimes against geography. :D

tumblr_inline_ojljwfnIdE1qa0yxw_500.jpg


gerrymandering3.jpg
 
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