City of Lubbock Receive and Discuss the Initial Assessment Regarding Redistricting
by Christy Martinez-Garcia, Latino Lubbock Magazine
The once-a-decade redistricting process has ramped up with the recent release of 2020 census data showing how populations have changed in neighborhoods, cities and counties since 2010.
Lubbock City Council members listened as Consultant, David Mendez, an attorney with Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta, LLC, shared and discussed the initial assessment regarding redistricting for City Councilmember Districts considering the new 2020 Census data, as well as the laws of the redistricting process, during a council meeting on October 12, 2021.
Redistricting normally takes place following each decennial census, in order to redraw boundaries to balance out changes in population and comply with the “one person, one vote” principle required by the U.S. Supreme Court and applicable civil rights law.
In addition to the one person, one vote rule, cities in Texas must be aware of the federal Voting Rights Act requirements that govern the redistricting process. The United States Constitution requires approximately equal population in each district within a city.
If the City’s initial assessment shows uneven population growth in some of the City’s districts, then the City Council will consider the adoption of redistricting criteria. The criteria would apply to the development of new districting plans and guidelines for public participation in the redistricting process.
The Texas Legislature is in the midst of its third special session, which is dedicated to redrawing political maps based on the latest census data. Those numbers, released earlier this year, showed people of color fueled 95% of Texas’ population growth over the past decade.
The new map though would create fewer districts where Black and Hispanic people make up a majority of eligible voters. Black and Hispanic Texans make up two racial groups that along with Asian Texans outpaced the growth of white residents in the state over the last decade.
###
Consejo Municipal escuchará presentación y evaluación inicial sobre redistribución de distritos electorales
Por Christy Martinez-Garcia, Latino Lubbock Magazine
El miércoles 12 de octubre, el Consejo Municipal de Lubbock recibo una presentación del consultor Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta LLP sobre la evaluación inicial de redistribución de distritos electorales considerando los nuevos datos del censo de 2020.
La redistribución de distritos electorales normalmente se lleva a cabo después de cada censo decenal, con el fin de volver a trazar los límites para equilibrar los cambios en la población y cumplir con el principio de "una persona, un voto" requerido por la Corte Suprema de los Estados Unidos y la ley de derechos civiles aplicable.
Además de la regla de una persona, un voto, las ciudades de Texas deben conocer los requisitos federales de la Ley de Derechos Electorales que rigen el proceso de redistribución de distritos. La Constitución de los Estados Unidos requiere poblaciones de tamaños aproximadamente similares en cada distrito dentro de una ciudad.
Si la evaluación inicial de la Ciudad muestra un crecimiento demográfico desigual en algunos de los distritos de la Ciudad, entonces el Concejo Municipal considerará la adopción de criterios de redistribución de distritos. Los criterios se aplicarían al desarrollo de nuevos planes de distritos y pautas para la participación pública en el proceso de redistribución de distritos.
###
Posted courtesy of Latino Lubbock Magazine Digital Media Read the October Issue of Latino Lubbock Magazine online at https://www.latinolubbock.net/magazine-preview Please visit www.latinolubbock.net for a centralized list of COVID-19 resources. For advertising call (806)792-1212
コメント