Redistricting Crisis in Texas

[Keith Broaders]

25 of the 38 Congressional Districts in Texas are currently being represented by Republicans while the Democrats control 11 seats.

If the map for redistricting is approved the Republican Party will gain control of 5 more Congressional Districts and the Democratic Party will potentially lose 5 electoral votes. 

In order to approve of the proposed map only a simple majiroty of the 150 representatives would be needed to approve of the proposed map

In orde for a vote on the proposed map a minimum of 100 resprentatives need to be presen.

The Republican Party has 88 members in the Texas House of Representatives and a minimum of 12 of the 62 Democrats would need to be present to create the required  quorum.

Over 50 Democrats have left the state and their absence has prevented establishment of a quorum.

Allowing partisan politicians the power to create the boundaries for Congressional Districts is a tool that can be used to stack the deck in favor of their political party.

Rather than allowing the voters to pcik the candidate the process of redistricting allows the political parties to pick the voters.

As long as we allow partisan politicians create the boundaries for Congreesional Districts we the people are going to experience the abuse of power by the political parties.

Rather than having a bicameral legislature with both a House and a Senate we should have a unicameral legislatire with just one house representing the states.

Each state would be equally represented in Congress and the representatives elected by the people in the state legislatures would choose their senators. 

[Keith Broaders]

Gerrymandering allows the dominant political party
to pick the voters rather than allowing the voters
to pick their representatives.

Gerrymandering is a corrupt political practice that enables the dominant political party of a state the authority to redraw  Congressional and state legislative districts with their state.

In my opinion legislative districts should be contained within the cities and counties. If each county was entitled to one representative for every 100,000 people and the county had a population of 500,000, that county would be apportioned 5 seats in the state legislature. Five districts within the county would then be created by the County Board of Commissioners.

Cities with populations of 50,000 or more would be entitled to one district for every 50,000.

Each county should be entitled to one senator and there shall be one representative for every 50.000 people living within the county. Counties with less than 50,000 people will be combined with other counties to create legislative districts.

Each city or county hall  shall have one Congressional Representative  for every 100,000 people. 

This plan would eliminate artificially drawn boundaries districts forever.