Redistricting Hearing Coming To Amarillo

The Texas legislature has already started hearings across Texas on redistricting, even though the legislature will not meet to actually take action on the matter until January of 2011.   The results of the 2010 census is expected to give Texas three or four more U.S. House representatives than it currently has.   Population shifts within the state are also expected to require a redrawing the lines for state legislature House and Senate districts.

On October 4th, the residents of the Texas Panhandle will get their chance to make their views on redistricting heard.   That is the day that the Senate Select Committee on Redistricting, chaired by Senator Kel Seliger, comes to Amarillo.   The Panhandle hearing will be held at the Region 16 Education Service Center at 5800 Bell Street in Amarillo.   All interested citizens are encouraged to attend.

West Texas and the Panhandle gained over 4% in population since the 2000 census, but that pales in comparison to the rise in population in several urban areas (as much as a 57% jump in population).   This means the new congresspeople will go to the urban areas.   West Texas and the Panhandle will be lucky if they can just maintain the current representation they have (on both the state and federal level).

One interesting idea was floated in the hearing held in Lubbock -- the creation of a minority Hispanic district somewhere in the west or northwest part of Texas.   Currently all of the state and federal representatives in West Texas and the Panhandle (except for El Paso) are held by white male Republicans.   It was pointed out that 58% of the Lubbock Independent School District is already minority (Hispanic and African-American).   There are also 12 counties in the 26 county Panhandle that are majority Hispanic, and several more in West Texas.

It's good that this idea is already being considered, although it'll probably not happen until after the 2020 census (which undoubtably will show an even denser Hispanic population in West Texas and the Panhandle).   It is doubtful that after the 2020 census the federal courts will allow the Republicans to dilute Hispanic voting strength by gerrymandering districts.