TPM: DOJ: Rick Perry's Texas Congressional Redistricting Map Violates Voting Rights Act

[flpoljunkie]

DOJ: Rick Perry's Texas Congressional Redistricting Map Violates Voting Rights Act
Ryan J. Reilly | September 19, 2011, 2:57PM

Updated: September 19, 2011, 3:42PM

The Justice Department said Monday that Texas' state House and congressional redistricting plans didn't comply with Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), indicating they thought the maps approved by Gov. Rick Perry (R) gave too little voting power to the growing Latino population in the state.

Officials with DOJ's Civil Rights Division said the proposed redistricting plan for the State Board of Education (SBOE) and the state Senate complied with the Voting Rights Act, but indicated they had concerns with the state House plan and the plan for congressional redistricting.

The federal government " that the proposed Congressional plan, as compared with the benchmark, maintains or increases the ability of minority voters to elect their candidate of choice in each district protected by Section 5," DOJ lawyers write in a filing. "Defendants deny that the proposed Congressional plan complies with Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act."

Texas Republicans were certainly worried about the feds raising concerns that the redistricting plan didn't do enough to strengthen the voting power of Latino residents of the state, according to emails they sent to one another.

A special three-judge panel in Washington, D.C. will ultimately decide whether the redistricting plan for the state violates the VRA. That's because the state of Texas chose to skip the cheaper pre-clearance process, which would have put the decision in the hands of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. A hearing is set for Wednesday.

more...

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/09/justice_department_signals_concerns_with_rick_perrys_texas_redistricting_map.php?ref=fpblg

[benld74]

1. Imagine that,,,,,

[Tarheel_Dem]

2. K & R

[YellowCosmicSun]

3. Eat that Corndog, Rick.