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U.S. Supreme Court to hear arguments on Texas redistricting saga

The United States Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Tuesday on whether Texas district maps used for voting are legal.

The United States Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Tuesday on whether Texas' voting districts are legal.

A panel of federal judges in San Antonio ruled last year that some districts on the state's map intentionally discriminate against minority voters.

The case actually dates back to 2011. Every 10 years, the Texas Legislature draws new district maps to align with the latest census data. So after the 2010 census, when lawmakers met in 2011, they drew new maps. But those maps never went into effect. There was a legal dispute and in 2012, a panel of federal judges in San Antonio ruled temporary maps should be used for the election that year.

In 2013, when the legislature was back in session, lawmakers voted to adopt the temporary maps.

In 2014, another lawsuit was filed arguing the maps discriminated against minority voters. And three years later, the court ruled the maps in two Congressional districts, including Austin, and nine State House districts were intentionally drawn to undercut the voting power of minorities "to ensure Anglo control".

"The current redistricting process in the State of Texas where elected officials choose their voters, politicians choose their voters rather than voters choosing their politicians, results in some relatively perverse outcomes, and we think that also has a demoralizing effect on the voting electorate," said State Representative Rafael Anchia (D-Dallas), Chair of the bi-partisan Mexican American Legislative Caucus.

Attorney General Ken Paxton and the state are challenging the latest ruling, which leads to Tuesday's Supreme Court hearing. The state argues since lawmakers adopted maps drawn by the court, they aren't discriminatory.

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Tuesday and is expected to make a ruling this summer.

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