WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld most of the Texas congressional map engineered by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay but threw out part, saying some of the new boundaries failed to protect minority voting rights.
The fractured decision was a small victory for Democratic and minority groups who accused Republicans of an unconstitutional power grab in drawing boundaries that booted four Democratic incumbents out of office.
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, writing for the majority, said Hispanics do not have a chance to elect a candidate of their choosing under the plan.
Guess what, as a democrat living in Austin, TX, I don't have a chance to elect a candidate of my choosing either. The justices may be right under the law, but they're morally wrong. When the texas GOP carved up the Austin democratic voting block and plunked those voters into republican districts they effectively wiped out my vote and denied me the representation of my choice.
Gerrymandering is wrong whichever party does it. Districts in every state should be drawn on demographics without regard to party affiliation. I suppose that would put too much power in the hands of the voters, eh? Can't have that.
Feh, a pox on all of them.
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California has an initiative on the ballot in November to turn the drawing of electoral districts over to an independent commission.
Which is an idea I support in theory, but why does it have to start in a blue state. Why not Texas first?
They'll never allow it here. Let me tell you, redistricting was done in the nastiest spirit ever here.
I think it should be done by an independent commission too.
"California has an initiative on the ballot in November to turn the drawing of electoral districts over to an independent commission."
It worked for the British: see Wikipedia: the Reform Act of 1867 mandated Boundary Commissions to ensure that constituencies were no longer 'rotten boroughs' but matched the demographics of the area in an equitable fashion.
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