The Republicans who control Southern legislatures have recently
slashed the number of election districts that allow Black and Latino voters to elect their preferred candidates, and federal courts have largely refused to step in this year to protect voters of color from discrimination. But in Texas, where election districts have
violated the Voting Rights Act (VRA) in every decade since the law's enactment in 1965, state and federal gerrymandering lawsuits are moving forward.
The U.S. Supreme Court, which has overturned court rulings in
Alabama and other states that sought to require more VRA districts, recently
declined to block Texas lawmakers from having to testify in a federal racial gerrymandering lawsuit that includes several challenges to both legislative and congressional districts.
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Among other things, the lawsuits allege that the GOP violated the VRA and the U.S. Constitution by
intentionally discriminating against voters of color in Dallas, Fort Worth, and West Texas. They also argue that the districts in Houston had the effect of disenfranchising Asian, Black, and Latino voters.
Texas is heading to court to defend new election districts that divide and disempower Black and Latino communities while benefiting the GOP. The districts remain in play for this year's elections, but judges could order new ones before 2024.
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“Because in some of the states... like
Texas, Florida and North Carolina, redistricting
is controlled by one party, it gives them a huge advantage because they can aggressively draw the map however they want,” Li said. “Aggressive gerrymandering could give Republicans a House majority in 2022.”
California, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia each lost one seat.
www.usatoday.com