Federal court: Discrimination in Texas voting maps

Tuesday, 28 August 2012 20:07

 

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Texas' voting districts are again in upheaval after a federal court on Tuesday found evidence of discrimination in new district maps drawn and approved by the state's Republican-controlled Legislature last year.

The U.S. District Court in Washington wrote in a 154-page opinion that the maps don't comply with the federal Voting Rights Act because state prosecutors failed to show Texas lawmakers did not draw congressional and state Senate districts "without discriminatory purposes."

The ruling applies to the maps originally drawn by the Legislature in 2011, and not interim maps drawn by a San Antonio federal court that are to be used in the upcoming elections this November.

Luis Vera, an attorney for the League of United Latin American Citizens, called the ruling "better late than never" and a win for his and other minority rights groups that sued the state over the maps.

"The three-judge panel unanimously found intentional discrimination across the state. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it," Vera said.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott immediately vowed to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"Today's decision extends the Voting Rights Act beyond the limits intended by Congress and beyond the boundaries imposed by the Constitution," Abbott said in a statement.

How Texas redrew its political boundaries was closely watched after the state was awarded four additional U.S. House seats based on a booming population largely driven by minorities. Those congressional seats were carved equally into two safely Republican and two safely Democratic districts.

 

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

 

Published in Around Texas
Read more...

News Category Menu

  • Popular
  • Latest
  • Comments
  • Tags
Subscribe to this RSS feed
Subscribe to this RSS feed
2nd Saturday 9/11 70th anniversary AAR Abandoned Animal Rescue academic team accident Adrian Garcia Allen Fletcher al Qaeda Ambassador animal resuce annexation anniversary arrest arson assault assessor award awards BACA baseball BBQ cookoff Be Tomball Ready Bill of Rights Blotter body body found Bond 2013 bond forum bond issue Boy Scouts Brazos County Bruce Hillegeist Bunny Run 5K burglary Bush Intercontinental Airport business luncheon Campaign 2012 Cannes Film Festival Car Raffle CASA cats c ats caught on tape CBL CERT Chairman's Ball charges dropped Charity Chase Parker child abuse child molestation ChristBridge Fellowship Chirch Christian Business Luncheon city council City of Magnolia City of Tomball Class of 2013 Clifford Wischnewsky clinic cold front collector college community service comprehensive plan Concordia Lutheran High School Congress Congressman Michael McCaul crash Crime crime local law enforcement report tomball texas crime report Dawson Duerer death debate DECA deceased democrats dental depot development Dianne Feinstein Dick Durbin Dinner with the Wildcats disaster preparedness dispute dogs donation boxes donations drunk driving DWI East 1488 CERT economic development education education funding Egypt elections embezzlement emergency management events exercise expansion Families Feeding Families farmers market fatal fatal accident federal court fencing ordinance FFA Fields Store Elementary Field Store Elementary fire fire rating First Friday fish fry fitness Food Drive Four Corners fraud fundraiser Fun Run garage sale George Bush Intercontinental Airport German Heritage Festival golf Governor Rick Perry graduation Grand Parkway Greater Magnolia Chamber of Commerce Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce Greater Tomball Chamber of Commerce green Gretchen Fagan growing pains growth GTACC guilty gun gun control Halloween Harris County Harris County Deputies Organization Harris County Pct 4 Constable Harris County Sheriff's Office Health health care heart attack hit and run home invasion homeland security Honky Tonk Music Festival honor Houston Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Houston Police Houston Texas hurricane IAH IED illegal immigration Interact Club investigation Isaac Jesse Dains JL Lyon Elementary John Neubauer Keep Montgomery County Beautiful kidnapping Kroger Kyle Wischnewsky landmarks law enforcement law enforcement report Libya loan Lone Star College magnolia Magnolia Academic Team Magnolia Area Chamber of Commerce Magnolia Community Foundation Magnolia Fire Department Magnolia High School Magnolia Historical Society Magnolia ISD Magnolia on the Move Magnolia Parkway Chamber of Commerce Magnolia Police Magnolia Rotary Club Magnolia Showdown Magnolia Texas Magnolia Tomball YMCA Magnolia Town Center Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department Magnolia West High School mandatory Mardi Gras Mardi Gras on the Stroll Mayor Mayor Gretchen Fagan medical missing Miss Tomball Montgomery County Montgomery County District Attorney Montgomery County Fire Marshal Montgomery County Pct 5 Constable Office Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Montgomery County Texas movies Mueller BBQ Murder networking new business New Orleans Northwest EMS Obama Officer of the Month pageant parent summit Partners Giving Campaign Patriots & Heroes Outdoors pet adoption Pet of the Week pet rescue pets Pinehurst Texas police police beat police blotter police chase pool Premiere Cinemas project show property tax deadline public education rape red light cameras Relay for Life Republicans restoration retirement Rick Brown rights robbery Rosalie Dillon safety Salem Lutheran Church Salem Lutheran School school safety science fair severe sexual assault SH 249 Shattered Lives of Tomball shooting Sign Ordinance SOS spelling bee Spring Fitness Sprint state champions State of the City State of the State stations storms student council Students of the Month Super Bowl of Caring superintendent suspect Tackle Hunger tailgate tankers taxes Teacher of the Month TEAM TEDC Ted Cruz tennis courts terrorism texas Texas A&M University Texas legislature Texas Principal of the Year Texas Renaissance Festival Texas Ren Fest Thanksgiving theater theft Theodore Hale The Stroll The Tribune The Woodlands Texas The Y Thomas Jefferson Timber Creek Elementary toll road tomball Tomball Bunny Run Tomball business park Tomball City Council Tomball Cougars Tomball Economic Development Tomball Fire Tomball Fire Department Tomball High School Tomball ISD Tomball Magnolia Montgomery Metro Go Texan Committee Tomball Memorial High School Tomball Night Tomball Police Tomball Regional Health Foundation Tomball Regional Medical Center Tomball Retirement Center Tomball Rotary Tomball Rotary Club Tomball Sister City Organization Tomball Texas top two graduates tornadoes tornado watch tournament traffic crash traffic safety train training Train Town TxDOT Union Pacific Unity Park Urban Cowgirl urban sprawl veteran veterans Walk of Fame Walk Tomball Waller County Waller High School Waller ISD Waller Texas Washington DC weather wedding anniversary Williams Elementary wounded soldiers yearbook photos YMCA youth youth sports

Fast look through

Subscribe to this RSS feed

Subscribe to The Tribune

We would  like to hear from you.  Please enter your email address below