Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: Cyber Liberty
It's pure spin. Abbott was asked for an Attorney General's Opinion on whether redistricting was mandatory. He issued the legal opinion. You can read it right here for yourself.

The fair characterization of his opinion is that the legislature should redistrict, but that there is no legal requirement that they do so, and certainly no way to force them to do so.

Now, compare that with what the Austin paper said.

51 posted on 08/15/2003 1:03:47 PM PDT by Dog Gone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies ]


To: Dog Gone
OK. Article:

Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott has said the current boundaries are legal and can stay until after the 2010 Census.

Published Opinion in your link:

The United States Constitution entrusts the task of drawing congressional boundaries to the State, but there exists no mechanism to force compliance with this constitutional responsibility. The Texas Legislature has present authority to adopt a congressional redistricting plan based on the 2000 census. Unless and until the legislature adopts such a plan, the map drawn in 2002 by the three-judge court in Balderas v. Texas will continue to be the congressional redistricting plan for Texas.

There is no conflict between the two quotes. The AG said that while the recent census isn't strictly legal, it will do until another one is crafted. Unsaid, but still just as true, is that 2010 may be the census that decides the boundries. Nothing in the link you gave me says the present lines MUST be redrawn in a timely manner (emphasis mine).

There may be fine legalistic differences that can be drawn, but the end result is the same: No new boundries until 2010, and this AG will never force the issue before then.

53 posted on 08/15/2003 1:10:11 PM PDT by Cyber Liberty (© 2003, Ravin' Lunatic since 4/98)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson