Cooking the districts to prevent a fair fight

Texas is once again becoming a battleground in the fight against voter discrimination.  The recent voter identification law was purportedly targeted at poor, black or Hispanic voters, whom Republican Representatives accused of voting fraudulently.  Ironically, that same House of Representatives was accused of voting malpractice themselves, casting votes during session for members who were absent by reaching over their desks.   State Republicans have also been accused of disenfranchising minority voters via redistricting, requiring Federal courts to settle the disputes.  The redistricting issue was so contentious in 2003, House Democrats left the state for Oklahoma in order to prevent a quorum, and thus delay voting on ridiculously gerrymandered district maps constructed under the guidance of former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom Delay.  This August, federal courts will once again attempt to determine whether newly drawn congressional districts discriminate against minorities in an attempt to minimize the chances of Democratic candidates. 

A recent editorial in the San Antonio Express-News advocates for independent redistricting commissions to take over the task of drawing congressional districts from the state legislature.  The Express-News Editorial Board cites a recent book by for Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, who proposes a constitutional amendment making gerrymandering for partisan purposes illegal.  While a constitutional amendment is highly unlikely, the Editorial Board argues, an independent redistricting commission would be the “next best thing” and a much more feasible solution as other states have already implemented them.  The Express-News equates this type of redistricting to discrimination, as the majority of black and Hispanic voters in Texas vote Democrat.  San Antonio is a city whose population is almost 63% Hispanic, and the newspaper is representing this population with its editorial.  As Texas’ largest “majority minority” city, San Antonio is heavily Democratic with 4 out of 5 of its House Representatives claiming Democrat.  As such, the left-leaning Express-News is well placed in addressing issues of discrimination against minorities and its targeted audience will respond affirmatively to the Editorial Board’s stance.

I wholeheartedly agree with the idea of an independent redistricting commission as well as a Constitutional Amendment banning gerrymandering nationwide.  The gridlock in Washington is directly linked to Representatives hailing from districts whose voter bases are so gerrymandered, they have little to fear in terms of voter retribution.  Likewise, the Texas Legislature has become so dominantly Republican, Democrats have little chance of opposing any legislation even when it is hotly contested or counter to popular opinion, as seen in the recent fight over abortion regulations.  Texans deserve to have fairly drawn districts that provide an equal opportunity for either party to have their candidates legitimately elected.  Texans deserve to have fairly drawn districts that represent the communities they live in, not ones that stretch for hundreds of miles.  An independent redistricting commission would be a huge step forward in accomplishing this goal of fair, equal representation.