A panel of judges in Washington, D.C. has ordered that there should be a trial on the Texas redistricting maps signed by Gov. Rick Perry, denying the state’s request to approve the maps DOJ argues limit the power of Hispanic voters.
“Having carefully considered the entire record and the parties’ arguments, the Court finds and concludes that the State of Texas used an improper standard or methodology to determine which districts afford minority voters the ability to elect their preferred candidates of choice and that there are material issues of fact in dispute that prevent this Court from entering declaratory judgment that the three redistricting plans meet the requirements of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act,” the ruling stated.
The Justice Department had argued that there was “ample circumstantial evidence” that both the congressional and state representative redistricting maps had not only the effect but the intent of limiting the voting power of Hispanic voters.
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