12/06/2021

DOJ Sues Texas Over State Redistricting Maps

It is citing discrimination against Latinos

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday sued Texas for the second time in a month over new voting laws, this time alleging that Republican state lawmakers discriminated against Latinos and other minorities when they approved new congressional and state legislature districts that increased the power of White voters.

Attorney General Merrick Garland's announcement marked the department's first major legal action on redistricting at a time when Democrats have warned that GOP-controlled state legislatures are seeking to improperly redraw voting precincts to aid Republican candidates ahead of the 2022 midterms and 2024 presidential election.

"This is not the first time Texas has acted to minimize the voting rights of its minority citizens. Decade after decade, Texas has enacted redistricting plans that violate the Voting Rights Act," the Justice Department said in its lawsuit. "In enacting its 2021 Congressional and House plans, the State has again diluted the voting strength of minority Texans."

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.