Republicans approve plans to redraw congressional maps in Texas
Republicans' attempts to redraw congressional maps in a bid to leverage votes has been approved by legislators in Texas.
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The approval comes two weeks after Democrats staged mass walkouts over the proposals, with lawmakers eventually returning to the Capitol earlier this week under threat of arrest.
The maps will carve out five new Republican-leaning seats ahead of next year’s elections in the US House of Representatives.
The vote in the Lone Star State had originally been delayed for two weeks, after Democratic legislators fled the state to halt processes. More than 50 Democrats walked out, stalling legislation and drawing national attention to the plans.
Following their return this week, the vote passed 88-52 along party lines.
States usually redraw their electoral districts every 10 years, following the results of the US Census. The vote comes as the Republican party attempts to protect their slim majority in the lower chamber of Congress.
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President Trump celebrated the news online, saying “Big WIN for the Great State of Texas!!!”
The redrawing of electoral boundaries to favour a political party is known as gerrymandering. Although legal in the US - unless ruled to be racially motivated - the proposed changes in Texas have sparked controversy.
California lawmakers are now considering redrawing new maps to advantage Democrats, effectively cancelling out the Republican advantages. They [something] that the maps would only go into effect if Texas and other Republican states went ahead first.
"Nothing about this is normal, and so we're not going to act as if anything is normal any longer," said California Governor Gavin Newsom.
"Yes, we'll fight fire with fire. Yes, we will push back. It's not about whether we play hardball anymore, it's about how we play hardball."
New York, South Carolina and Florida are amongst others considering similar changes.
Following results in the Texas House of Representatives, the maps will now go to the state Senate. It is expected they will be quickly approved and then signed off by the Texas governor.
During the vote, Democratic representative Chris Turner called it a "clear violation of the Voting Rights Act and the constitution.”
The decision came after the order to lock the statehouse chamber doors on Monday, in an attempt to prevent a repeat performance from Democrats. Their original walkout reduced numbers below those required for the House to take a vote.
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows also said Democrats would be “released into the custody” of a designated police officer to ensure they returned to the vote two days later.
Democrats and civil rights movements have since said the move will violate federal law by diluting minority voting power, and have threatened to sue.