Texas Senate Passes New Republican-drawn Congressional Map

The Republican-controlled Texas authorities Senate passed nan party’s caller legislature maps precocious Friday, completing a legislative odyssey that included important Democratic delays and sparked a nationwide scramble complete redistricting successful nan process.

The ballot intends nan maps, which were designed to pad nan Republican mostly successful nan U.S. Congress, will spell into effect erstwhile signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, a proponent of nan scheme who has been shouted connected by President Donald Trump.

Trump initially led nan calls for Texas to redraw its legislature map, saying his statement is “entitled to” 5 much legislature seats from nan state. That’s what nan maps intend to do: By redrawing legislature territory boundaries successful cardinal cities arsenic good arsenic on nan state’s border, Texas will person 30 legislature districts that Trump carried past autumn by a double-digit margin.

The GOP presently controls 25 of nan state’s 38 legislature districts.

Republicans person been adamant, and blunt, from nan commencement of nan process that their workout has been a governmental 1 aimed solely astatine expanding their party’s powerfulness successful Washington, wherever nan House is almost evenly balanced. Democrats request a nett summation of conscionable 3 seats successful nan 2026 elections to return nan majority.

Democrats person accused Republicans of mounting a vulnerable precedent by not waiting until 2031 to redraw nan lines, arsenic is customary, and they said nan caller maps would wounded number practice successful nan state, a complaint their Republican colleagues denied.

Unlike nan authorities House, wherever business crushed to a halt earlier this period erstwhile dozens of Democrats fled nan authorities to contradict nan assemblage a quorum to move guardant pinch legislation, forcing Abbott to telephone different typical session, nan Senate has not been stymied by those efforts.

With Abbott poised to motion nan caller maps into law, nan spotlight shifts to California, wherever Democratic lawmakers person their ain connection to redraw their state's legislature boundaries arsenic governmental retribution for Texas' move. Unlike successful Texas, wherever regular authorities is capable to alteration nan maps, California Democrats' connection must besides beryllium approved by nan voters successful a typical predetermination this autumn successful bid to return effect.