From the Lone Star Project:
Court’s ruling makes clear that Abbott has lost Senate redistricting case
Yesterday, the three-judge Federal District Court in San Antonio handling the Texas redistricting litigation entered a final judgment in the Texas State Senate redistricting law suit. In its ruling, the Court made clear that Wendy Davis and her fellow plaintiffs in the case won and Greg Abbott, representing the Republican state leadership, lost.
The order in part reads,
“It is further ORDERED, ADJUDGED and DECREED:
that because (1) Plan S148 has been repealed, (2) Plaintiffs agree that Plan S172 does not violate the Voting Rights Act or the Constitution, and (3) Plaintiffs do not seek any further relief with regard to Plan S148, Plaintiffs’ remaining claims under § 2 of the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution are DISMISSED AS MOOT; and that, as prevailing parties, [emphasis added] Plaintiffs are awarded their reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs.”
Greg Abbott served as the primary legal counsel to the State of Texas during the consideration of redistricting by the Legislature and defended the State’s redistricting plans in federal court. His efforts in redistricting have been nothing short of an embarrassing debacle.
Abbott advised the Legislature to configure and adopt redistricting plans that the federal courts ruled to be in violation of the US Voting Rights Act. Two of the three redistricting plans were ruled to be drawn with discriminatory intent. Abbott has spent millions of dollars in Texas taxpayer funds to unsuccessfully defend redistricting plans that were unfair and illegal. Abbott’s actions go beyond partisanship to illustrate profound incompetence and open hostility to Hispanic, African American and other fair-minded Texans.
The Court’s ruling further confirms the courage and wisdom of State Senator Wendy Davis and other plaintiffs who had the strength and tenacity to stand up to Abbott and the State Republican leadership to protect the basic voting rights of Texas citizens.
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