GOP Inaction On Redistricting May Cost Texas Big Bucks

The way it breaks down is this: Republican-dominated state houses in Texas have not taken up congressional redistricting, now it may be too late, and if a special session needs to be called it’s going to cost big bucks. Imagine, a state that just saw its public education system decimated by $4 billion in cuts, will now have to pay for a special session so Republican politicos can make sure they get more seats in 2012.

Of course what’s at issue here is whether Latinos and other minorities — which accounted for 80% of the growth that garnered Texas four new congressional seats — will have access to fair districts that allow their votes to be equitably counted. Judging from the how the state house and senate districts were drawn, Republicans would have done their best to draw the congressional lines so as to prevent this from happening.

One Texas legislator wanted to propose a congressional redistricting plan that he thinks would give minorities equitable representation. Unfortunately, because his spokesperson told us these committees never met, Fort Worth State Rep. Mike Veasey, a Democrat, released his plan just so he could at least get it on the record. Of Veasey’s plan, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported:

In Veasey’s map, thirteen of the state’s 36 districts would be minority districts, all of which would lean Democrat, along with one in Travis County. The other 22 districts would lean Republican.

Veasey said he was using the “same logic” Republicans used in 2003 redistricting in arguing that 55 percent of the seats should favor Republicans because 55 percent of the state voted Republican at the time.

But perhaps the part about not getting around to these maps, then using the excuse that the budget was the focus (even when somehow sanctuary cities and abortion took precedence earlier this year) of Republican energy, and so forcing the need for an expensive (my sources say multi-million dollar) special session is the worst part. That’s just my opinion.

Veasey’s opinion seems to be that there’s no reason to go to special session — his office told News Taco he thinks it’s possible to equitably draw these lines. And Democratic State Rep. Joaquín Castro of San Antonio told News Taco, “Tax payers may have to pay more money for a  special session because Republican leadership decided to force through a radical agenda, which does not represent the priorities of Texas families.”

We’ll see who moves first.

Follow Sara Inés Calderón on Twitter @SaraChicaD