The Republican-controlled Texas House approved a redrawn congressional map requested by Donald Trump, moving the measure to the state Senate. Democratic representatives staged weeks-long protests and filed amendments that were voted down while raising objections to prioritizing redistricting over flood relief and to rules requiring police escorts to leave the chamber. Democrats contend the mid-decade map cracks and packs minority communities, diminishing Black and Hispanic voting power and further gerrymandering the state in pursuit of Republican political gains. Nicole Collier livestreamed parts of the protest and was denied a pass to exit the floor. Republican leaders rejected claims of racial animus.
The Republican-controlled Texas house on Wednesday approved a redrawn congressional map requested by Donald Trump and fiercely opposed by Democrats who led a weeks-long protest to stall the effort that kicked off a redistricting arms race between red and blue states. With the house's approval, the measure next goes to the state senate where it is expected to pass, possibly as soon as Thursday.
Before its passage, Democratic state representatives filed a series of amendments to the bill which were voted down, but used the process to raise objections to taking up redistricting before flood relief, to house rules which require a police escort when leaving the chamber and to the proposal itself, a mid-decade change which they argue reduces the voting power of people of color in service to Republican political gains and further gerrymanders the state at the cost of democracy.
We're ready to meet Trump where he is, which is on a dirt road, said Democrat Nicole Collier, livestreaming from a bathroom off the legislative floor. We're ready to get down and dirty. Collier refused to sign a pass and permit a police escort for leaving the House floor, and has been trapped in the chambers as a result. While on a Zoom call with the Democratic senator Cory Booker
Collection
[
|
...
]