State lawmakers began their third special legislative session of the year on Monday. This time the primary task is to draw new political maps. But the question on a lot of minds right now is whether the Legislature will have the final word on these maps Or they headed to court?
Sherri Greenberg, a professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT-Austin. She was also a Democratic state representative, serving the Austin area from 1991-2001. Greenberg says a big difference this year is that Texas is no longer under federal oversight, as it has been during previous redistricting cycles. This preclearance process was required under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. A Supreme Court ruling in 2013 removed the preclearence requirement. That means many tools parties in power use to protect their electoral advantage are available to Texas Republicans.