A federal court in Washington on Tuesday found evidence of discrimination in new Texas voting maps drawn by the state's Republican-controlled Legislature. Here's a quick look at the decision:
THE ISSUE: The U.S. Department of Justice requires Texas and eight other states with a history of racial discrimination to submit changes to voting maps for review. Rather than seek clearance through the DOJ, Texas asked a federal court in Washington for approval. On Tuesday, the court rejected the maps.
THE DECISION: In a 154-page opinion, the court said the state failed to prove that the maps weren't redrawn with the intent to discriminate. The judges said they found evidence of discrimination in the maps, noting that black congressional members had economic drivers such as sporting arenas carved out of their districts while "no such surgery" occurred in districts with white incumbents.
WHAT'S NEXT: The ruling isn't expected to affect the November elections. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is vowing to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, since the state argued that the lines were legally drawn in ways to be favorable to Republicans but not with intent to discriminate.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
