District Court, Splitting 2-1, Finds Texas Congressional Districts Violate VRA

[Virginiá]

http://electionlawblog.org/?p=91545
http://electionlawblog.org/wp-content/uploads/Perez-congress-opinion-3-10-2017.pdf
http://electionlawblog.org/wp-content/uploads/Perez-finding-of-fact-3-10-2017.pdf

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Opinion (part):

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[JerryArkansas]

The Brown districts would have to be completely redrawn, the Pink districts are ones which could be directly affected by redrawing.  Yellow shouldn't be touched, but might.

[ApatheticAustrian]

Breaking...more to come.


https://twitter.com/marceelias/status/840417229787271172


U.S. court voids Texas congressional districts
http://www.statesman.com/news/court-voids-texas-congressional-districts/KVaIq89yr9TAmayWUhXYUK/

[(Still) muted by Kalwejt until March 31]

The VRA is nothing more than a money making machine for trial lawyers. If Paul Ryan had any sense, he should stand for its immediate repeal.

[KingSweden]

Honestly, we should just get rid of the VRA district requirements *and* partisan gerrymandering. Draw compact districts like Elections Canada does and then every party can let the chips fall where they may. Compete for votes, make voters actually like you. Gerrymandering, IMO, is why both parties are so widely reviled these days.

[JerryArkansas]

Honestly, we should just get rid of the VRA district requirements *and* partisan gerrymandering. Draw compact districts like Elections Canada does and then every party can let the chips fall where they may. Compete for votes, make voters actually like you. Gerrymandering, IMO, is why both parties are so widely reviled these days.

That could easily lead to African Americans in the South being completely drawn out of power.  Its not hard to draw compact districts which destroy their representation. 

[Devout Centrist]

The VRA is nothing more than a money making machine for trial lawyers. If Paul Ryan had any sense, he should stand for its immediate repeal.

You wrote "VRA" not "ADA", you should fix that.

[Hindsight was 2020]

What effect could this have on 2018?

[Gass3268]

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Also it was ruled intentional, which means if upheld by the Supreme Court Texas would go under Section 5 pre-clearance.

[Ronnie]

Wow!  Let's keep these victories coming!

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

So far these court victories haven't won dems much. A gain of 1 seat in Virginia, a net gain of 1 seat in Florida. In North Carolina the republicans simply inserted another "gerrymander recipe" and moved on without any losses. As a result, I have little reason to believe that this will result in large dem gains.

[publicunofficial]

So far these court victories haven't won dems much. A gain of 1 seat in Virginia, a net gain of 1 seat in Florida. In North Carolina the republicans simply inserted another "gerrymander recipe" and moved on without any losses. As a result, I have little reason to believe that this will result in large dem gains.

It might have an effect in the future, where gerrymanders have to at least be creative or else they risk being struck down.

This ruling, from what I can tell, could force TX-23 to change in a way that makes it more D-leaning or could force TX-27 be drawn as a VRA seat.

[Gass3268]

So far these court victories haven't won dems much. A gain of 1 seat in Virginia, a net gain of 1 seat in Florida. In North Carolina the republicans simply inserted another "gerrymander recipe" and moved on without any losses. As a result, I have little reason to believe that this will result in large dem gains.

This is a huge ruling if Democrats take back the White House in 2020. The court ruled that Texas' map was discriminatory in both practice and intent. If the intent part is upheld, Texas will fall into Section 5 preclearance, meaning the DOJ would have to approve any changes to Texas election/voting laws, like decennial redistricting,

[krazen1211]

There they go again! These same judges already tried to steal districts in 2011 when they concocted a grotesque Democratic gerrymander for the Congressional districts. They were stopped before.

[7,052,770]

Honestly, we should just get rid of the VRA district requirements *and* partisan gerrymandering. Draw compact districts like Elections Canada does and then every party can let the chips fall where they may. Compete for votes, make voters actually like you. Gerrymandering, IMO, is why both parties are so widely reviled these days.

Or just do proportional representation in each state. Why should Democrats who live in Republican areas, or Republicans who live in Democratic areas, be forever shut out of being represented by someone with similar views?

[Nyvin]

Honestly the Texas GOP should probably just make a Travis County vote sink for the Dems and be done with it...it's pretty much inevitable anyway. 

I strongly expect this will be the end result of this in some fashion or another,  with the other three seats staying Dem.

[Virginiá]

So far these court victories haven't won dems much. A gain of 1 seat in Virginia, a net gain of 1 seat in Florida. In North Carolina the republicans simply inserted another "gerrymander recipe" and moved on without any losses. As a result, I have little reason to believe that this will result in large dem gains.

The more victories keep stacking up, the more important it becomes. You can look at these individually and say they don't matter much, but together it adds up, and when you are in a hole like the Democrats, every little bit counts.

[Heisenberg]

Anyone have an idea as to how the new maps may look like?

[krazen1211]

Honestly the Texas GOP should probably just make a Travis County vote sink for the Dems and be done with it...it's pretty much inevitable anyway. 

I strongly expect this will be the end result of this in some fashion or another,  with the other three seats staying Dem.

That's odd. 2 of the 3 aren't Democratic now, and doing what the court did in its slapped down plan C220 would only strengthen TX-27 (renumbered TX-34 in that plan) for Farenholdt. Nueces County voted for Trump.

I am amused by liberals giving us a pretext to strengthen our districts. I would think they would learn after this backfired in North Carolina.

[JerryArkansas]

Anyone have an idea as to how the new maps may look like?

Likely a total redraw of the southern part of the state, Fourth valley district would be likely.  Austin would likely also have a seat entirely in Travis county as well.  It might take out 2 or 3 republicans, depending on what they do in San Antonio. 

Maybe some rearanging of the 11 and 23.

[publicunofficial]

I don't even know what the court is getting at with CD-26. Unless they're mandating a third VRA district in the Dallas-FW Metro.

[JerryArkansas]

I don't even know what the court is getting at with CD-26. Unless they're mandating a third VRA district in the Dallas-FW Metro.

Thats what they seem to be doing.  One for Tarrant, and two for Dallas.

[DrScholl]

Most of Nueces would end up in TX-34, which is where it should be, since it has previously been in a district with Brownsville. Farenthold would still have a seat, so that isn't a change. TX-35 is the issue, because if it condenses into Travis County, that means that another Bexar County anchored seat has to be drawn. That is where all the questions about change come in.

[JerryArkansas]

Most of Nueces would end up in TX-34, which is where it should be, since it has previously been in a district with Brownsville. Farenthold would still have a seat, so that isn't a change. TX-35 is the issue, because if it condenses into Travis County, that means that another Bexar County anchored seat has to be drawn. That is where all the questions about change come in.

This is the real question because by putting the 35th all in Travis, you have to move the 17th, 10, 21st, and the 25 out of the county.  Which leads to a cascade effect on all the districts in the southern part of the state.  I'm trying to draw something for this part of the state, I'm not going to even tackle the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.

[jimrtex]

Most of Nueces would end up in TX-34, which is where it should be, since it has previously been in a district with Brownsville. Farenthold would still have a seat, so that isn't a change. TX-35 is the issue, because if it condenses into Travis County, that means that another Bexar County anchored seat has to be drawn. That is where all the questions about change come in.

Why should Corpus Christ be in the same district as Brownsville?