Wednesday, June 28, 2006

SCOTUS Upholds Texas Redistricting (mostly)

Justices Uphold Most of Texas Redistricting Map

By William Branigin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 28, 2006; 5:06 PM

The Supreme Court today upheld most of a Republican-engineered redrawing of congressional boundaries in Texas at the instigation of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), but it threw out part of the new map that it said discriminated against Latino voters.

In another of a series of fractured rulings -- this one produced six separate opinions -- the high court found nothing inherently wrong with drawing new congressional districts in mid-decade. While the 2003 Texas redistricting plan had partisan motives of increasing the Republicans' congressional majority, the court said, it did not amount to unconstitutional political gerrymandering.

On the issue of whether part of the new map was drawn with the effect of disenfranchising minority voters in south and west Texas in violation of the Voting Rights Act, the court ruled 5-4 that such a violation occurred and ordered that it be remedied.
More

Not exactly what I had hoped for. Considering that Texas Dems had previously redistricted Texas to their benefit the ruling wasn't unexpected. However thats one more house seat for the Democrats although I doubt that district will be redrawn in time for the November elections.