NYT: Texas Rivals Offer Competing Redistricting Plans

[DeepModem Mom]

Texas Rivals Offer Competing Redistricting Plans
By RICK LYMAN
Published: July 15, 2006

HOUSTON, July 14 — Republicans, Democrats and Hispanic rights groups in Texas unveiled competing plans on Friday to rapidly redraw several of the state’s Congressional districts. It was the opening salvo in what promises to be a short, fierce battle to reconfigure the political geometry of South Texas....

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Most of the plans would put Webb County, which includes the predominantly Democratic and Hispanic city of Laredo, into a single district. Under the 2003 plan, the county was split between the 23rd district, represented by a Republican, Henry Bonilla, and the 28th, represented by a Democrat, Henry Cuellar.

But each party, which had until Friday to submit their plans to a three-judge panel of the Federal District Court, offered different ways to spread the impact, each to its own benefit.

The plan filed on behalf of the state’s Democratic Congressional delegation, for instance, would make the 25th district, which zigzags 300 miles from southern Austin to Mexico, much shorter and Austin-based, which would help the incumbent Democrat, Lloyd Doggett.

Attorney General Greg Abbott offered a more far-reaching plan on behalf of the Republican-led state government. It would give most of Mr. Bonilla’s vast district to Mr. Cuellar. In addition, Mr. Doggett would no longer even live in his district, which would retain a Democratic majority but be dominated by San Antonio’s suburbs. And liberal Travis County, with Austin as its heart, would be split among three Republican districts....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/15/us/15texas.html

[DCal]

1. The Texas GOP has no shame at all

For the Delay-ites to use this court decision as an opportunity to draw Lloyd Doggett out of his district is simply outrageous.