Testimony In State Redistricting Trial Set To Conclude
WASHINGTON (CBSDFW.COM/AP) - Testimony is set to conclude in a trial to determine whether new political district lines drawn by the Texas Legislature violated the federal voting rights laws.
The last expert witness in the case is expected to testify Thursday morning. Three judges are hearing arguments in federal court in Washington, D.C., from attorneys for the state of Texas, which is defending the map, and a coalition of minority groups and the U.S. Justice Department. They argue the new lines discriminate against minority voters.
State Sen. Wendy Davis of Fort Worth was one of several lawmakers who testified during the hearing after seeing her district change dramatically under the new map.
Both sides will give closing arguments next week. Judges in the case have accelerated their timetable in part because participants on both sides must argue before a federal judge in San Antonio. The judge is set to draw interim district lines for rapidly approaching state elections.
(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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