People don’t understand how bad the gerrymandering here is.
In 2001, in response to Texas’s new seats granted by the results of the census, Texas’s districts were redrawn by the courts after the Republicans and Democrats couldn’t agree on a map.
In 2003, the Republicans had taken the Texas government in the 2002 elections and decided to redistrict again.
What followed was insane. 52 Dems fled the state to prevent quorum until the session ended.
Then Rock Perry called a special session, and the Dems cited a 2/3rds rule.
So 30 minutes after the special session ended, Perry called a second special session without a 2/3rds rule.
So the Dems fled the state again, but when the first one came back into the state they were forced by law enforcement to attend a third special session to pass the redistricting.
How bad was the new map? Look at it this way:
The Texas delegation to the US House of Representatives hadn’t been majority Republican since Reconstruction.
After the 2004 election, the Republicans held 21 of the 32 seats.
Fwiw, many districts are not so Republican and would actually vote Democrat if it weren’t for gerrymandering.
People don’t understand how bad the gerrymandering here is.
In 2001, in response to Texas’s new seats granted by the results of the census, Texas’s districts were redrawn by the courts after the Republicans and Democrats couldn’t agree on a map.
In 2003, the Republicans had taken the Texas government in the 2002 elections and decided to redistrict again.
What followed was insane. 52 Dems fled the state to prevent quorum until the session ended.
Then Rock Perry called a special session, and the Dems cited a 2/3rds rule.
So 30 minutes after the special session ended, Perry called a second special session without a 2/3rds rule.
So the Dems fled the state again, but when the first one came back into the state they were forced by law enforcement to attend a third special session to pass the redistricting.
How bad was the new map? Look at it this way:
The Texas delegation to the US House of Representatives hadn’t been majority Republican since Reconstruction.
After the 2004 election, the Republicans held 21 of the 32 seats.