[woofie]

This is getting a lot of radio coverage in Alb.....the afternoon guy is saying the Texas legislative redistricting is not on the up and up (bad Repblicans).In other words that it is not a normal occurance in the 10 year redistricting cycle ....What info have you got on this?

[mathluv]

It is supposed to be done every 10 years. With the last census, TX gained seats due to increase in population. The acting Lt Gov, RINO Bill RATliff, would not support the Rep plan, and voted with the dims. Since districts had to be added, a group of judges made do with the old dim map, changing just enough to add those districts. RATliff has not run, but is still not supporting the new map.

Dims keep saying Tom Delay is the one pushing this - and I am sure he is to some extent. Why was it okay in '92 when Martin Frost did the dim one? Dims have selective memories. They are out of power for the first time in 130 years.

[hocndoc]

It's okay under our Constitution.
The Democrats have gerrymandered since the Reconstruction.

I imagine that they are afraid that the Republicans will draw the lines the same way they always have.

[El Gato]

).In other words that it is not a normal occurance in the 10 year redistricting cycle

True to a point. However it's also not a "normal occurance" for the districts to be set by a federal court, which over-ruled a state court. The federal court based the districts on the 1990 plan, which was of course heavily Gerrymandered to favor Democrats.

It's also true the the Republicans latest plan went a long way to removing the worst of their own Gerrymanders from the plan originally up for approval in the Texas House during the regular session. They also adddressed some of the concerns of suburban verses rural.

[swilhelm73]

The current scheme was foisted on Texas by some leftist judges.

Even though Reps make up a clear majority in Texas, and the state voted by a large margin for Bush, Dems still have the majority of the House seats - a fairly clear demonstration of how gerrymandered the current districts are...