A new Texas congressional map is on its way to Gov. Greg Abbott after the Texas House and Senate signed off on a plan Monday night that would lock in an overwhelming Republican edge for a decade. The plan, approved the day before the 30-day special legislative session expires, protects incumbents, but doesn’t reflect the state’s population growth that was powered by minority residents.
The vote for the new map — mostly along party lines in both chambers — came despite a slipping share of the population and the fact that Texas’ two new seats stem from growth in the Hispanic population. The map allocates 24 of 38 U.S. House seats to the GOP, a generous ratio given that Republicans collected just 53% of votes in congressional races last November.
On Sunday, the plan, known as SB 6, was rushed through a conference committee stacked with Republicans.
During a floor debate, Democrats argued that Republicans were ignoring communities of color in favor of partisan politics. Over the last 10 years, minority residents have made up 95% of the 4 million people that moved to Texas. Half of that number were Hispanic residents.
“What we’re doing is hurtful to millions of Texans. It’s shameful, and I’d love to be able to say it is a stain on legacy of voting rights, but that seems to be the playbook decade after decade after decade in this state,” said Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, before the conference committee report was approved. “The only time that committees of color, specifically, can get justice, is when they have to go to the courthouse.”
Texas, because of its population growth, was given two new congressional districts. Those districts were placed in the Austin and Houston areas, and they are favorable to white candidates.
North Texas didn’t get a new congressional district, and it remains one of the largest urban areas without Hispanic representation in Congress.
The map is guaranteed to invite litigation — one suit was filed on Monday before the last map was approved — on grounds that it leaves minority clout stagnant. No other state gained as many seats in this year’s reapportionment of the U.S. House.
