From Reuters, 10/18/04:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=6530796
Supreme Court Orders Texas Redistricting Review
By James Vicini
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -
The U.S. Supreme Court ordered on Monday further consideration of a
challenge by Democrats and minority groups to a controversial
Republican-backed congressional redistricting plan in Texas.
The justices in a brief order granted an appeal by those challenging
the plan and set aside a ruling by a federal three-judge panel in
January that upheld the bitterly contested map.
The justices ordered further consideration by the federal panel in
view of their ruling in April that upheld a Pennsylvania redistricting
case.
They did not elaborate further.
Those challenging the redistricting plan, which had been strongly
supported by House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay of
Texas, argued it was an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander and that
it diluted the voting strength of minorities.
They challenged whether redistricting plans can be redrawn in the
middle of the decade to maximize partisan advantage.
Congressional districts usually are drawn once, early in the decade,
right after the release of new U.S. Census data.
After the 2000 census, the Texas legislature failed to act on
redistricting and a court-drawn plan was adopted.
After months of turmoil, the redistricting plan advocated by Texas
Republicans finally won approval last year in a third special session
called by Republican Gov. Rick Perry.
Democrats twice stymied efforts to adopt the plan by leaving the state
and denying Republicans a quorum.
Those challenging the plan told the Supreme Court it shifted more than
8 million Texans into new districts and was designed for the
Republicans to pick up as many as seven seats now held by Democrats in
the U.S. House.
"The 2003 Texas congressional redistricting is proof that the
redistricting process in this country has gone completely haywire,"
their attorneys said in asking the high court to reverse the ruling of
the three-judge panel.
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, a Republican, urged the Supreme
Court to summarily affirm the panel's ruling.
"This case raises no new questions of fact or law," he said, adding
that the questions presented are "insubstantial."
But the justices refused to summarily affirm the lower court's ruling.
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Nice.
Harry
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