Senate Redistricting met on September 28 to vote on committee amendments regarding SB 4 (Huffman) and SB 7 (Huffman). SB 4, as amended, and SB 7 were voted out of committee and will move to the Senate floor for further consideration. A video of the hearing can be found here.
This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight of the discussions on the various topics taken up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the discussions but is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.
Opening Comments
- Huffman – Committee did not receive any proposed amendments to SB 7
- Will be considering SB 4 amendments
- Will lay out each amendment, open up public testimony, and then consider and vote on each amendment
- At the end of the hearing, committee will vote whether to send SB 4 and SB 7 to the full Senate
- If voted out, floor amendments must be filed by 9 a.m. Friday, October 1st; is a strict deadline
SB 4 (Huffman) Relating to the composition of districts for the election of members of the Texas Senate
Committee Amendment 1 (Huffman) (S2108)
- Huffman – Complied with all current laws to redraw these maps
- Increases the plans over all deviation from 5.5 to 5.98%
- SD30 becomes the largest district over SD3 from original plan, SD 31 remains smallest district
- Includes changes to SDs 3, 5, 7, 10, 18, 19, 21, 22, 24, 25, 28, 30, and 31; among others
- Have an amendment to the amendment; will explain that below
Committee Amendment 1 withdrawn and left pending, later brought back
Committee Amendment 2 (Huffman) (S2126)
- Huffman – Impacts SDs 3, 4, 10, 19, 21, 28, and 30
- VDT in Jefferson County from 3 to 4; Nichols and Creighton are aware of that
- Makes changes to SD10 and SD30; Springer is aware of that
- From Zaffirini and Gutierrez’s discussion; SD19 and SD21 back in their position in the original proposal’s position
- Slight change for Wichita County, SD28 loses one VTD; Perry is aware of that
- Puts Springer’s district office back in his district
Committee Amendment 2 adopted
Committee Amendment 3 (West) (S2120)
- Zaffirini – Concerns West’s SD23 and SD22, West and Birdwell accepted changes
- Moves 5 precincts in Tarrant from SD22 to SD23
- Moves 8 precincts from SD23 to SD22
- Huffman – West offered three amendments which swap precincts from SD23 to SD22; original plan would have taken district’s population a little high
- This amendment keeps it within deviation range aiming for
- Birdwell has no objection to this plan
Committee Amendment 3 adopted
Committee Amendment 4 (Powell) (S2119)
- Sponsored by Alvarado, laid out by Zaffirini
- Restores SD10 under benchmark following the 2011 court ruling for SD10
- Makes necessary changes to SD12 and SD9 by moving both districts around in Tarrant County, adds Parker and Johnson Counties to SD22
- Brown, Callahan, Palo Pinto, Shackleford, Stephens and Young counties are moved to SD30
- SD23 moves into Tarrant County consistent with West’s amendment
- Huffman – Powell argued we should not make changes to the existing SD 10 because it has close to ideal total population
- Huffman – Does not account for surrounding districts which are overpopulated: SD8, SD12, or SD30; shifts needed to account for growth
- Huffman – Received legal advice to confirm that this race-blind drafting was not in violation of Voting Rights Act nor that configuration was required
- Alvarado – Speaks in favor of the amendment
Committee Amendment 4 fails to adopt (5-9)
Committee Amendment 1 (Huffman) (S2108)
CA 1 adopted as amended by amendments 2 and 3; amendments were then rolled into CSSB 4 (S2130)
CSSB 4 passes out of committee to the full Senate (12-2)
SB 7 (Huffman) Relating to the composition of districts for the election of members of the State Board of Education
SB 7 passes out of committee to the full Senate (14-0)
Closing Comments
- Huffman – Will have another hearing to solicit invited/public testimony on SB 6, the congressional map, on 9/30 at 9 a.m.