Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas When the Texas Legislature returns to work next spring one of the biggest political prizes to be won will be the stuff from which legends & fortunes are made: a figurative and literal treasure map known as redistricting. Make no mistake about it we are talking about billions of dollars in additional state and federal funds for deep South Texas over the next 10 years and it all revolves around a map-drawing process called legislative redistricting where the boundaries of congressional state senatorial & state representative districts are created says Rep. Armando Mando Martnez D-Weslaco.
Even for people who could care less about politics the stakes are enormous especially for our region which could gain power and money for every important program from education to transportation to heath care.
In the case of the Valley one of the fastest-growing areas of Texas the area is in good shape to get a new congressional district with western Hidalgo County including McAllen and Mission and Starr County serving as the population base he envisioned.
Martnez who serves as Chairman of the Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Subcommittee on Redistricting says he and other fellow Valley lawmakers will be working hard during the upcoming regular session of the Texas Legislature which begins in January to help carve a map that includes a new congressional district for deep South Texas.
Next spring those new boundaries for congressional state senate and state representative districts must be approved by the Texas Legislature and the governor and meet strict federal laws that protect Texans voting rights before the plan becomes a reality.
The new legislative districts are decided by several key factors but most importantly by the population growth of a region. The more people who live in a region the more likely they will get additional legislative seats from Congress to the Texas Legislature.
Valley residents can help their own cause
Martnez said area residents can also help the Valleys cause in the coming months by calling on the two major candidates for Texas governor incumbent Rick Perry a Republican and former Houston mayor Bill White a Democrat to go on the record to support a new congressional district for the Valley.
No matter in which political party you belong or you are an Independent if you live in the Valley when Mr. Perry and Mr. White campaign in our area ask them if they would use the power of the gubernatorial veto to kill any redistricting plan that does not include a new congressional district for the Valley said Martnez. If they dont make that promise or if they dodge the question they are not on our side and they dont deserve our vote. Its simple as that.
The governor has the power to veto (kill) any bill approved by the Texas Legislature including any congressional redistricting plan and it is very difficult for state lawmakers to come up with enough votes to overturn a veto.
When a governor uses a veto he can call the Legislature back into what is called a special legislative session where the governor is in a much better position to strike a deal that would help Texas and in the case of congressional redistricting help the Valley Martnez said.
Summary of the Redistricting Process
The Texas Legislative Council which is the research arm of the Texas Legislature provides the following summary of the legislative redistricting process:
Every decade presents different challenges and reflects the wills of the various players involved during that period. The history of the redistricting process during the 1980s 1990s and 2000s illustrates some of the different courses decennial redistricting can take. The timing and legal requirements however dictate that the basic process will likely take the following course which is described in more detail in the associated sections.
During 2010 the legislative committees with redistricting jurisdiction may hold public hearings around the state. The April 1 2010 census population data will be delivered to the legislature no later than April 1 2011 and perhaps a month earlier. As soon as the data is loaded in the computer systems the members of the Legislature their designees and other interested parties will begin drawing plans. Bills to enact new redistricting plans will follow the same path through the legislature as other legislation.
If the Legislature fails to redistrict the Texas Senate or House during the 82nd Legislature Regular Session or the governor vetoes a house or senate redistricting bill the Texas Constitution requires that the Legislative Redistricting Board (LRB) meet and adopt its own plan. Any legislative or LRB plan must be submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for pre-clearance under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
If the Legislature fails to pass a congressional or State Board of Education plan or the plan is vetoed the governor may call a special session to consider the matter. If the governor does not call a special session then a state or federal district court would draw the plan.
A suit against an adopted redistricting plan may be brought at any time under the federal or state constitution or federal law. Note that plans drawn by a federal court do not need to obtain Section 5 pre-clearance while plans drawn by a state court do require preclearance.
The filing deadline for the 2012 primary elections allows approximately seven months from the end of the regular legislative session for the governor to act on any redistricting legislation passed for the LRB to meet if necessary for any special session called to consider redistricting if necessary for obtaining pre-clearance under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act for court action and for counties to make necessary changes in county election precincts.
Legislative Media reports on major legislation that affects South Texans. For more on this and related stories and photographs please log on to www.EdinburgPolitics.com
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas When the Texas Legislature returns to work next spring one of the biggest political prizes to be won will be the stuff from which legends & fortunes are made: a figurative and literal treasure map known as redistricting. Make no mistake about it we are talking about billions of dollars in additional state and federal funds for deep South Texas over the next 10 years and it all revolves around a map-drawing process called legislative redistricting where the boundaries of congressional state senatorial & state representative districts are created says Rep. Armando Mando Martnez D-Weslaco.
Even for people who could care less about politics the stakes are enormous especially for our region which could gain power and money for every important program from education to transportation to heath care.
In the case of the Valley one of the fastest-growing areas of Texas the area is in good shape to get a new congressional district with western Hidalgo County including McAllen and Mission and Starr County serving as the population base he envisioned.
Martnez who serves as Chairman of the Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Subcommittee on Redistricting says he and other fellow Valley lawmakers will be working hard during the upcoming regular session of the Texas Legislature which begins in January to help carve a map that includes a new congressional district for deep South Texas.
Next spring those new boundaries for congressional state senate and state representative districts must be approved by the Texas Legislature and the governor and meet strict federal laws that protect Texans voting rights before the plan becomes a reality.
The new legislative districts are decided by several key factors but most importantly by the population growth of a region. The more people who live in a region the more likely they will get additional legislative seats from Congress to the Texas Legislature.
Valley residents can help their own cause
Martnez said area residents can also help the Valleys cause in the coming months by calling on the two major candidates for Texas governor incumbent Rick Perry a Republican and former Houston mayor Bill White a Democrat to go on the record to support a new congressional district for the Valley.
No matter in which political party you belong or you are an Independent if you live in the Valley when Mr. Perry and Mr. White campaign in our area ask them if they would use the power of the gubernatorial veto to kill any redistricting plan that does not include a new congressional district for the Valley said Martnez. If they dont make that promise or if they dodge the question they are not on our side and they dont deserve our vote. Its simple as that.
The governor has the power to veto (kill) any bill approved by the Texas Legislature including any congressional redistricting plan and it is very difficult for state lawmakers to come up with enough votes to overturn a veto.
When a governor uses a veto he can call the Legislature back into what is called a special legislative session where the governor is in a much better position to strike a deal that would help Texas and in the case of congressional redistricting help the Valley Martnez said.
Summary of the Redistricting Process
The Texas Legislative Council which is the research arm of the Texas Legislature provides the following summary of the legislative redistricting process:
Every decade presents different challenges and reflects the wills of the various players involved during that period. The history of the redistricting process during the 1980s 1990s and 2000s illustrates some of the different courses decennial redistricting can take. The timing and legal requirements however dictate that the basic process will likely take the following course which is described in more detail in the associated sections.
During 2010 the legislative committees with redistricting jurisdiction may hold public hearings around the state. The April 1 2010 census population data will be delivered to the legislature no later than April 1 2011 and perhaps a month earlier. As soon as the data is loaded in the computer systems the members of the Legislature their designees and other interested parties will begin drawing plans. Bills to enact new redistricting plans will follow the same path through the legislature as other legislation.
If the Legislature fails to redistrict the Texas Senate or House during the 82nd Legislature Regular Session or the governor vetoes a house or senate redistricting bill the Texas Constitution requires that the Legislative Redistricting Board (LRB) meet and adopt its own plan. Any legislative or LRB plan must be submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for pre-clearance under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
If the Legislature fails to pass a congressional or State Board of Education plan or the plan is vetoed the governor may call a special session to consider the matter. If the governor does not call a special session then a state or federal district court would draw the plan.
A suit against an adopted redistricting plan may be brought at any time under the federal or state constitution or federal law. Note that plans drawn by a federal court do not need to obtain Section 5 pre-clearance while plans drawn by a state court do require preclearance.
The filing deadline for the 2012 primary elections allows approximately seven months from the end of the regular legislative session for the governor to act on any redistricting legislation passed for the LRB to meet if necessary for any special session called to consider redistricting if necessary for obtaining pre-clearance under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act for court action and for counties to make necessary changes in county election precincts.
Legislative Media reports on major legislation that affects South Texans. For more on this and related stories and photographs please log on to www.EdinburgPolitics.com
