Federal judges redraw 5 South Texas districts

[Judi Lynn]

Aug. 5, 2006, 11:01AM
REDISTRICTING
Federal judges redraw 5 South Texas districts

By GARY SCHARRER
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

AUSTIN - Federal judges Friday drew a new congressional map for South Texas that reunites Webb County, shifts more San Antonio voters to U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla and might spur the return of a former Democratic congressman.

The ruling ends three years of fighting over how to draw the state's 32 congressional districts, which twice provoked Texas Democrats to flee the state in failed efforts to stop Republicans from redrawing those lines.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that Bonilla's 23rd Congressional District violated the Voting Rights Act because it diminished the voting strength of Hispanics. The latest court-drawn map, effective for the November general election, will impact five South and Central Texas congressional districts — 15, 21, 23, 25 and 28.

The map could set up a showdown between Bonilla and former Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, who was beaten in the past two elections by Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo.
(snip/...)

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/politics/4095984.html

[salin]

1. I look forward to reading more about the impressions of the map

from those familiar with the area, the original districts, Delays districts and what will be created by the courts.

[Moderator]

2. Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2437993

and

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2436423