What You Need to Know About Texas' Battle Over Gerrymandering Allegations

AUSTIN — In the latest chapter of Texas' extremely complicated battle over voting rights and the legality of its electoral maps, the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday halted a lower court ruling ordering the state to redraw its congressional and statehouse maps . The high court's decision means that Texas will likely use its current maps, which a federal court in San Antonio ruled discriminatory this year, for next year's elections while it considers the state's appeal of the lower court's decision. If the Supreme Court sides with the lower court, it could reshape Texas' political landscape. If not, it could mean a major victory for state officials who have defended the legality of the maps for most of the decade. Here's what you need to know about Texas' years-long legal battle over redistricting.How did we get here?In 2011, minority lawmakers and civil rights groups sued the state over its electoral maps, saying Texas legislators drew them to limit the voting power of African Americans and Latinos. They successfully stopped the state from implementing those maps, and a federal court in Washington ordered that new maps be drawn.   Continue reading...