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Politics : GOPwinger Lies/Distortions/Omissions/Perversions of Truth -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: puborectalis who wrote (70791)	6/28/2006 10:41:02 AM
From: Hope Praytochange	Respond to of 173976

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. Foes of the plan had argued that that was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander under the Voting Rights Act, which protects minority voting rights. On a different issue, the court ruled that state legislators may draw new maps as often as they like -- not just once a decade as Texas Democrats claimed. That means Democratic and Republican state lawmakers can push through new maps anytime there is a power shift at a state capital. The Constitution says states must adjust their congressional district lines every 10 years to account for population shifts. In Texas the boundaries were redrawn twice after the 2000 census, first by a court, then by state lawmakers in a second round promoted by DeLay after Republicans took control. That was acceptable, the justices said. "We reject the statewide challenge to Texas redistricting as an unconstitutional political gerrymander," Kennedy wrote. However, he said the state's redrawing of District 23 violated the Voting Rights Act. The 2003 boundaries were approved by the state Legislature and its Republican majority newly elected with DeLay's help. In the next congressional elections, Republicans picked up six additional seats in the House. The contentious map drawing also contributed to the downfall of DeLay. He was charged in state court with money laundering in connection with fundraising for legislative candidates. Although he is fighting the charges and maintains he is innocent, DeLay gave up his leadership post and then resigned from Congress. After Texas decided to redraw its congressional district boundaries, two other states -- Colorado and Georgia -- also undertook a second round of redistricting. "Some people are predicting a rash of mid-decade redistricting. I am skeptical," said Richard Hasen, an election law expert at Loyola Law School. "It would be seen as a power grab in a lot of places." More Articles in Washington »

To: puborectalis who wrote (70791)	6/28/2006 10:44:21 AM
From: Kenneth E. Phillipps	Respond to of 173976

The Court decision has increased the stakes for state legislative races. Now that States can redistrict every two years, there will be a lot more money poured into state legislative races to either protect existing re-districting or change it.