Federal Court Rules Texas' Statehouse Maps Intentionally Discriminatory, Orders Some Districts Redrawn

AUSTIN -- A federal court in San Antonio ruled that Texas' statehouse maps are intentionally discriminatory and ordered districts in four counties, including Dallas and Tarrant, redrawn.The ruling by a three-judge panel on Thursday was the second time the court had ruled Texas' statehouse maps discriminatory. Earlier this year, the court had ruled that the state's 2011 maps were intentionally discriminatory. In 2013, the state redrew those maps after another court had found it had discriminatory effects. Those 2013 maps are the ones currently used by the state for elections.In its ruling, the court said the intentional discrimination from 2011 carried over into parts of the 2013 maps. The ruling will affect five districts in the Dallas-Fort Worth area: House Districts 90 and 93 in Tarrant County and House Districts 103,104 and 105 in Dallas County.This is the third major defeat in elections-related lawsuits for Texas in a week.   Continue reading...