TCAN

Yesterday the long-awaited hearing of the House Redistricting Committee was held to discuss several proposals for reforming the Texas Incumbent Protection Plan, more commonly known as Redistricting.

Most of us are acutely aware of the redistricting fiascos that Texas has experienced over the past few years and believe things must change. As some of you may recall, TCAN was a collaborator with Rep. Mike Villarreal on his redistricting proposals, so we were anxiously awaiting this hearing.

The meeting was scheduled for 7:30 a.m. to enable the authors to lay out their bills and invited witnesses to give testimony before the House convened its regular order of business. As an invited witness by Rep. Mike Villarreal to testify on his two pieces of legislation, I was there ready to go, but as there was so much to discuss, the committee chair, Rep. Joe Crabb, adjourned the meeting at 9:00 a.m. with only half the bills and witnesses heard. The committee finally reconvened at 9:00 p.m., and again I was there to testify for Rep. Villarreal’s legislation, along with Tom “Smitty” Smith of Public Citizen.

Our proposals, HB 3389 and HJR 101, together provide legislative direction and constitutional language needed to provide a voter protection plan for Texas voters when it comes to redrawing the Texas Legislative and the Texas Congressional Districts. When these plans are enacted, Texas voters will be choosing their legislators instead of legislators choosing their constituents.

After reviewing the other proposals sent to the committee, we at TCAN recognized and praised Sen. Jeff Wentworth and Rep. Mark Strama for some positive steps in both their proposals. However, we also recognized that a partisan appointment process for the redistricting commission, which both of these legislators proposed, is ultimately a weakness because, as we have seen in the past, when partisan politicos from both parties are given the task of overseeing a redistricting process, they are destined to either (a) agree on an incumbent protection plan or (b) find themselves in gridlock while bowing to partisan pressures. That is why we worked to develop and supported the provisions in the Villarreal proposals that would provide for a nine-member truly independent redistricting commission.

The Villarreal plan would provide for an independent Texas Redistricting Commission composed of eight retired judges and the president of the League of Women Voters of Texas. These nine commissioners would oversee the redistricting process and approve the plans for both state and congressional seats. Retired judges certainly represent individuals with a record of overseeing serious issues and reaching difficult decisions based on the facts or the merits of a case without regard to political implications, and the League of Women Voters is nationally recognized for its nonpartisan election efforts.

To further reduce any political influence, Rep. Villarreal’s proposals further remove the redistricting process from the partisan infighting that is almost inevitable by giving the responsibility of appointing the judicial members of the redistricting commission to an already existing nonpartisan state commission, the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, whose responsibilities include evaluating the decision making and efficacy of judges. We believe this commission represents a balanced and reasonable deliberative body to make such appointments.

These provisions for an independent redistricting commission provide an important firewall between the partisan nature of choosing a redistricting committee and the nonpartisan nature of a process that should be developing districts that represent people and not parties.

In my closing remarks I stressed the following to the committee members:

The True Courage Action Network, and I as its Chair and as an individual who has been greatly impacted by redistricting over the years, want to strongly ask for your most careful deliberations on the Villarreal proposals.

I would ask every one of you to carefully consider our past redistricting fiascos, reach beyond partisan political pressures, take a statesmanlike position, looking at the long-term implication of the decision you face today, and vote for at least one of these redistricting plans.

Let’s not leave this matter pending for the next legislature to grapple with; let’s move forward with a clear plan for Texas’ future redistricting needs.

We noted that Chairman Crabb and at least some of the committee members (from both major political parties) seemed to understand the importance of creating a fair redistricting system and gave all of the proposed legislation their thoughtful attention. Please contact members of the House Redistricting Committee and ask them to vote out Rep. Villarreal’s proposals HB 3389 and HJR 101 so the entire House can vote on them.

John Courage, Chair
True Courage Action Network