The Supreme Court on Wednesday threw out part of a Texas congressional map engineered by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, saying some of the new boundaries failed to protect minority voting rights.
The fractured decision was a small victory for Democratic and minority groups who accused Republicans of an unconstitutional power grab in drawing boundaries that booted four Democratic incumbents out of office.
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, writing for the majority, said Hispanics do not have a chance to elect a candidate of their choosing under the plan.
Republicans picked up six Texas congressional seats two years ago, and the court’s ruling does not seriously threaten those gains. Lawmakers, however, will have to adjust boundary lines to address the court’s concerns.
At issue was the shifting of 100,000 Hispanics out of a district represented by a Republican incumbent and into a new, oddly shaped district. Justices had been told that was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander under the Voting Rights Act, which protects minority voting rights.
Republicans had said the new map better reflected the voting patterns of the state and denied that minority voting rights were violated.
The map in question was steered through the Legislature by DeLay, who left Congress June 9 amid legal and ethical troubles, some stemming from the redistricting fight.
The new map gave Texas its first congressional delegation with a Republican majority since Reconstruction. The delegation has 21 Republicans and 11 Democrats. Under the previous boundaries, Democrats dominated 17-15.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
SCOTUS TOSSES PART OF TEXAS REDISTRICTING PLAN
An interesting ruling. The Associated Press reports:
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4 comments:
My hairdresser, Juanita, over at the World's Most Dangerous Beauty Salon, Inc, Fort Bend County, had this to say:
"You know, I'm real glad that Betty Lynn's College of Cosmetology and Heavy Thinking required us to read our Shakespeare. If Miss Betty hadn't made us read our Shakespeare, I couldn't fully appreciate the tragedy of Tom DeLay. Everything Tom worked for and lied, cheated and stole for will now bite him in the hiney when Democratic states begin re-drawing their Congressional districts tomorrow. And what did Tom get, other than a couple of years on the Rich and Leisure Golf Circuit, for all his hubris and pride? In the words of Hamlet, "Diddle squat."
Reps and Dems both need to stop this silly gerrymandering concept. Period.
Come on guys, where's the posts on this one?
It sucks when the good side wins one, don't it?
Maybe those 100,000 hispanics out to be moved even further south LIKE BACK TO FRIGGIN' MEXICO.
Headem up and movem out. Yeeha!
Green Cards, boys. Green cards.
Nah... just start a "Guest Voter Program".
Like Francine Busby said:
"Everybody can help, yeah, absolutely, you can all help. You don't need papers for voting, you don't need to be a registered voter to help.”
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