Discovery Advances for Texas Redistricting Trial
(CN) - Texas will have to fork over most of the documents requested by the United States and intervening parties in the dispute over the state's redistricting maps, a federal judge ruled, addressing "a discovery impasse" two weeks before trial.
In an effort to have Texas redistricting maps for the 2012 election cycle declared compliant with the Voting Rights Act, the state sued the United States and Attorney General Eric Holder in Washington, D.C.
On Nov. 8, however, a three-judge panel refused to grant summary judgment for the maps affecting the state Senate, the state House of Representatives and the U.S. House of Representatives. Texas improperly relied on voting-age population data to determine the effect the maps will have on minority voters, according to the follow-up opinion filed Dec. 22. Declining to rule on whether Texas devised its plans to discriminate against the groups protected by the Voting Rights Act, the panel slated a trial for the case on Jan. 17.
http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/01/05/42795.htm
= new reply since forum marked as read
Doesn't surprise me one bit the State of Texas would try to hide behind "client attorney privilege". 
Anyhow this seems like a good thing for open government and our side of course! 
And in other news yesterday:
http://txredistricting.org/post/15372370623/today-in-the-preclearance-case
Today in the preclearance case
Opening arguments and trial briefs
Yesterday, the D.C. court told the parties that it did not see a need for opening arguments in the preclearance trial.
Texas today, however, asked the court to let it have 30 minutes at the outset of the trial “to explain its position,” saying that an opening statement was important in light of the section 5 standards announced by the court in late December.
This afternoon, in a minute order, the court granted the state the time it sought, but said it would be deducted from the state’s witness time.
The court did not give the Justice Department and intervenors time for an opening statement (nor did they request it), but, at their suggestion, said they could file trial briefs on or before January 13 at 5 p.m.
County officials hold off on new voter cards during redistricting fight
Even if you've registered to vote in Texas, you won't be getting a new voter registration certificate until February. Although the latest blue cards expired at the end of the year, counties are waiting to mail out new ones until a long legal battle over the state's redistricting maps — which has already pushed back the primary elections — has concluded.
Officials say residents will still get the new yellow certificates in time for the primary election, which was moved last month under a federal court order from its usual date in March to April 3, with early voting from March 19 through 30 and a runoff date of June 5. The certificates verify that voters are properly registered and provide them information on which districts they live in so they know which races they can vote in.
But like every other segment of the election timetable this year, the mailing dates are subject to change. The court fight over redistricting affects voting precincts and where registered voters may cast ballots, hence the delay in mailing out new voter registration certificates. Officials in Travis, Williamson, Hays and Burnet counties all said they are waiting for some resolution, which they hope will come by the end of the month, before mailing the hundreds of thousands of cards.
Williamson County Voter Registration Supervisor Julie Seippel said if the legal issues are not resolved in time to send the certificates, the courts will probably set new mailing deadlines for counties.
Rich Parsons, a spokesman for the Texas secretary of state's office, said the office has received calls from county officials trying to sort through the mess the legal battle has created.
Another fine mess the Texas Rs have gotten all the election officials in.
