Texas Senate GOP Map was Pre-cooked

Yesterday, under cross examination in federal court, Doug Davis, the map drawer for the Republican Senate leadership, was forced to admit under oath that he worked secretly to get the Senate Committee report on redistricting written and the bill prepared BEFORE a single committee hearing had been held. Also, the scheme was underway before the public had been given an opportunity to view and comment on the plan.

Davis’ efforts were exposed by an email written from Texas Legislative Council lawyer David Hanna responding to the scheme by writing “No Bueno” and warning that such an effort would create a “paper trail” exposing the bill’s violation of the Voting Rights Act. The email was written only hours after the Republican redistricting plan had been posted to the State’s redistricting website. It confirms that Texas Republican leaders had no intention of listening to or responding to any comments from the public or accepting any substantive amendments from Senate Members. It further acknowledges their worries that the plan does not comply with the Voting Rights Act and may not survive legal review.

See secret email here:

Click here for Forth Worth Star-Telegram article regarding the email

Why are the Admission and the Email Important?

Ironically, Hanna’s email to Davis created the very paper trail he warned against. Davis made the admission under intense questioning during cross examination from Gerry Hebert, the legal council for State Senator Wendy Davis and for congressional plaintiffs supported by the Lone Star Project. The secret effort to pre-cook the committee adds to mounting evidence that the Texas Republican plans discriminate against Hispanics and African Americans in Texas by excluding them from the redistricting process and intentionally reducing their voting strength.