A panel of federal judges in San Antonio found Texas lawmakers intentionally discriminated against minority voters in some areas when they drew district maps for the Texas House of Representatives.
The districts were redrawn in 2011 after the 2010 Census. The plaintiffs claimed the redrawing of voting districts in several areas of Texas, including Bexar, Harris, Dallas, Nueces, El Paso and Tarrant counties, along with the Rio Grande Valley and Bell County, were configured intentionally to separate minority voters into different districts, weakening their ability to elect Texas House members of their choice.
The judges did not order any immediate changes to the maps, so it’s unclear how — or if — the rulings will affect elections in 2018.
Today's ruling comes after a similar ruling last month, which said lawmakers diluted the influence of minority voters when they drew some of the state's congressional districts, a violation of the 14th Amendment.
This is a developing story.
