SAN ANTONIO — The U.S. Department of Justice is now suing Texas over its redistricting maps. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the plans violate the voting rights of minorities.
The DOJ claims Texas is violating section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires that state voting laws — including those that draw electoral maps — provide eligible voters with equal opportunity to vote.
Garland claims Texas has created plans that deny Latino and Black voters their right to vote based on race, color or membership and language minority group.
Census data shows Black and Hispanic and Asian residents make up 95% of Texas' population since the last time the maps were drawn back in 2011.
In San Antonio, the DOJ said three districts are discriminatory. They include House Districts 118, 31 and 23.
The new House District 118 map, in particular, shows that lawmakers cut Latino influence from 60% under the previous plan to nearly 48%.
"Our investigation determined that Texas' redistricting plans will dilute the increased minority voting strength that should've developed from these significant demographic shifts," Vanita Gupta, Associate Attorney General, said on Monday.
The question is: Who gets to draw them? Is it the legislature or is it the courts?
In some cases, the courts have taken it upon themselves to re-draw at least parts of those maps if they found them discriminatory. We may see something like this time, as well.
A federal judge in El Paso will decide if the maps are discriminatory against Black and Latino voters
If the maps are found to violate the voting rights act, Texas would need to draft new ones.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called the lawsuit absurd and a means to control Texas voters.