Texas redistricting maps are racially biased, civil rights advocates claim in lawsuit

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Civil rights advocates connected Tuesday filed a suit to overturn a redistricting map expected to favour Republicans successful the 2026 midterm elections, saying it weakens the electoral power of Black voters.

The NAACP and the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law filed the suit successful Texas.

They impeach Texas legislative leaders of engaging successful gerrymandering to forestall Black voters from electing candidates of their choice.

"The authorities of Texas is lone 40% white, but achromatic voters power implicit 73% of the state's legislature seats," Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP, said successful a statement. "It's rather evident that Texas's effort to redistrict mid-decade, earlier adjacent year's midterm elections, is racially motivated. The state's intent present is to trim the members of Congress who correspond Black communities, and that, successful and of itself, is unconstitutional."

Since the Voting Rights Act was adopted, the authorities of Texas has been recovered to person discriminated against Black and/or Brown citizens aft each rhythm of redistricting, according to the NAACP.

Accusations of racism predominate Texas statement implicit redistricting

Democrats and Republicans accused each different of racism during their statement past week successful the Texas House implicit the caller legislature maps.

Last Monday, the Texas House established a quorum for the archetypal clip successful 2 weeks aft Democrats near the authorities to artifact the caller maps. That acceptable the signifier for the measure to travel to the House floor. Democrats accused Republicans of violating Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

The Justice Department says connected its website that conception 2 of the Voting Rights Act prohibits "discrimination successful voting applies nationwide to immoderate voting standard, practice, oregon process that results successful the denial oregon abridgement of the close of immoderate national to ballot connected relationship of race, color, oregon rank successful a connection number group." Republicans insisted they followed this law.

"Once again, Republicans proceed to marque powerfulness grabs connected the backmost of Black and brownish communities," said Rep. Venton Jones, D-Dallas. "We fought for 1 of the astir important issues we person arsenic Texans, and that's our close to vote. We're going to inactive proceed to fight. We're going to instrumentality this to the courts."

Rep. Katrina Pierson, R-Rockwall, who is Black and represents a bulk achromatic district, rejected Democrats' accusations during an interrogation with CBS News Texas.

"It's victimization each day, each day," said Pierson. "There's nary relationship for values, and that's what's astir important. People of Texas person spoken successful the past respective cycles. Minority voters are turning Republican, and that is however this representation is drawn. It's perfectly legal. Of course, they are going to instrumentality america to court, but we volition win."

After 8 hours of statement past Wednesday, the House approved the caller maps by an 88-52 margin on enactment lines.

Representative Ann Johnson, D-Houston, scolded Republicans.

"This is astir racism, and if you can't perceive it from them, past perceive it from maine arsenic a achromatic pistillate and a girl of a antheral of privilege. To basal present arsenic a 50-year-old pistillate and cognize that we're going backmost successful time. So, let's speech astir cowardice and cheats," she said.

Pierson fired backmost astatine Democrats.

"The racist rhetoric is old. It is earnestly stale and agelong overplayed. News flash: Democrats bash not ain minorities successful Texas. Republicans are the majority, truthful it's not the radical of Texas who are racist. It is you," said Pierson.

Texas redistricting representation approved amid governmental tensions

Texas lawmakers approved the representation Saturday, creating 5 caller districts favoring Republicans. The determination came aft President Donald Trump requested it.

"The 5 caller Republican majority-leaning seats we judge for each the close reasons, ineligible reasons, and the close reasons politically that our authorities deserves those further 5 seats due to the fact that this authorities has changed dramatically," Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick precocious said to CBS News Texas.

The effort by President Trump and Texas' Republican-majority Legislature that prompted authorities Democrats to clasp a two-week walkout besides kicked disconnected a redistricting effort successful California, with different Democrat-led states hinting that they whitethorn travel suit. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Democratic authorities lawmakers are moving guardant with a November peculiar predetermination to enactment a caller legislature representation earlier the voters that could assistance Democrats summation 5 seats. California Republican lawmakers accidental they are suing to halt that from happening.

Republican Sen. Phil King, the Texas measure's sponsor, antecedently denied accusations alleging that the redrawn districts interruption the Voting Rights Act by diluting voters' power based connected race.

"I had 2 goals successful mind: That each maps would beryllium ineligible and would beryllium amended for Republican legislature candidates successful Texas," helium said.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has not yet signed the representation into law, has predicted it volition past immoderate tribunal challenges. Abbott besides has predicted different Republican-led states volition marque akin moves seeking caller seats for the GOP successful Congress.

Texas Democrats person said that erstwhile Abbott signs the measure into law, they volition file a suit against the state.

S.E. Jenkins

S.E. Jenkins is simply a integer contented shaper for CBS Texas. She has besides been a Digital Content Producer successful Tallahassee and Myrtle Beach. S.E. graduated with journalism degrees from Texas State University, Aarhus Universitet and City, University of London.

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