Redistricting Saga Leaves Texas Primary Date In Doubt
SAN ANTONIO (AP) - The fight over newly drawn political maps in Texas shifts from Washington to back home Friday when a separate federal court will discuss whether an April 3 primary can be salvaged.
A three-judge panel in San Antonio cautioned this week that the date only would work if all sides agree on temporary political maps by a Feb. 6 deadline. But that scenario appears unlikely, and the state and minority groups who sued over the original Republican-drawn maps are set to again debate what is realistic.
The uncertainty has revived the potential of a split primary, in which Texas would still hold its presidential primary early as possible to maintain influence in the Republican nomination. Elections officials, however, have testified that doing so would double the costs for cash-strapped counties.
The latest, most likely scenario is expected to become clearer during Friday's status conference.
The long-running dispute over the maps has volleyed between the San Antonio federal court and another in Washington, which is trying to determine whether the lines drawn by the GOP-controlled Legislature violated the Voting Rights Act. Two weeks of testimony in the Washington trial ended Thursday, and closing arguments are set for Tuesday.
The Washington panel has given no indication on when it might make a ruling.
The San Antonio court had previously drawn interim maps but those were thrown out last week by the U.S. Supreme Court, which said the San Antonio court did not show enough deference to the map crafted by Texas lawmakers and adjusted parts of the map where there was no Voting Rights Act argument.
Attorney General Greg Abbott has asked the San Antonio court to quickly draw temporary maps so that Texas can still hold its primary. Minority groups, meanwhile, asked for more time to explain what they think the maps should look like.
At issue is how the maps, drawn last year by Republicans in the Legislature, treat minorities. Republican leaders say the maps merely benefit their party's candidates, but minority groups claim they discriminate by diluting minority voting power. Texas must redraw political districts every 10 years to adjust for population changes.
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