Thread by @RANewsTX

Today, the Texas Senate is expected to consider the committee substitute for #SB6, the proposed map for Texas' 38 congressional districts, and several floor amendments.

We'll be live-tweeting on this 🧵 once it begins. Follow along: tlcsenate.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.ph…
#txlege #redistricting

Here's what #SB6, the proposed Congressional map (PLANC2116), currently looks like as voted out by the Senate #Redistricting Committee.

Viewer: dvr.capitol.texas.gov/Congress/0/PLA… #txlege

There were 12 pre-filed amendments for #SB6, the proposed TX Congressional map: dvr.capitol.texas.gov/Congress/44 #txlege #redistricting

https://twitter.com/RANewsTX/status/1445067023344615432

Debate on #SB6, the congressional map is beginning now. Watch live here: tlcsenate.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.ph… #txlege #redistricting

https://twitter.com/RANewsTX/status/1446496585165250593

Huffman introduces #SB6 repeating her redistricting principles, the same as the Senate maps. She again says floor amendments need to meet all applicable laws, increase overall deviation & her #redistricting principles. #txlege

Huffman: "While these maps were drawn blind to race, it is wrong to say race was wholly ignored." Says VRA requirements met by first drawing blind to race & then undergoing legal review. She doesn't think there are any Sec. 2 required minority opportunity districts. #txlege #SB6

Sen. @RolandForTexas asking questions first. He confirms from her that 7-8 districts under the proposed map are Hispanic majority CVAP districts (citizen voting age population). She also confirms neither the new #TX37 & #TX38 are Hispanic majority CVAP districts. #SB6 #txlege

Huffman says #TX15 (@RepGonzalez) will continue to perform as a Hispanic opportunity district under the new maps, but their preferred candidate could be a Republican (as Trump margin increased significantly). #txlege

.@Menendez4Texas asks if there was input from outside sources.

Huffman only mentions the public proposed maps, which were looked at and underwent a VRA compliance review. All Congressional members had letters sent soliciting input. #txlege #SB6

Menendez: How did you draw maps that didn't account for 95% of pop. growth coming from minorities (& increasing a new minority opportunity district)?

Huffman: we drew without regards to race and didn't see the need to make a new minority opportunity district. #txlege #SB6

Huffman says she has an amndmnt fixes the issue of SJL & Green being in the same district & their concerns. She will talk to Houston delegation. If they don't accept it, she'll withdraw it.

#SB6 Cmte Sub (PLANC2116) is left. Huffman's floor amndmnt (PLANC2128) is right. #txlege

.@SenRoyceWest asks Huffman about Gingles analysis on #redistricting maps (historical look of 3 yr period of specific minority groups to elect candidate of their choice). #txlege #SB6

Huffman mentions 2020 presidential margins but won't say what else was looked at claiming client-attorney privilege to determine "polarized voting" for a Gingles analysis. She also claims she doesn't know how exactly the analysis was done. #SB6 #txlege

https://twitter.com/RANewsTX/status/1446505985942728706

Miles says Harris Co. constituents have concerns about #TX9 #TX18 & #TX29 in #SB6.

"Was there a list of minority protected seats when drafting was done?"

Huffman: No. We drew blind to race, then checked to see if existing minority opportunity districts were protected. #txlege

Missed this quote when Menendez was questioning Huffman earlier on #SB6. #txlege

https://twitter.com/James_Barragan/status/1446506737897455616

Miles asks if Huffman would support his amndmnt on #TX18 #TX9 & #TX29 moving some of the minority economic communities back together.

Huffman: I've kept an open mind & I'll consider it when it comes up.

Here's Miles' amendment (PLANC2115) compared to cmte sub #SB6. #txlege

Huffman confirms the process for #SB6. First, GOP members of the TX US House delegation used their campaign funds to hire a legal team they proposed (@ChrisKGober & his firm). They sent that proposal to Huffman. #txlege #redistricting

Then, Huffman used that suggestion & made her own changes while soliciting proposed maps from D congressional members. She claims there were no responses until recently. She received general response 1st & then maps came as recent as this wk. #SB6 #txlege

https://twitter.com/RANewsTX/status/1446511767912386560

Following up on Huffman's proposed amendment on #TX9, #TX18, #TX29 that's not up yet: she claims it puts parts of Third Ward & @JacksonLeeTX18's home back into Texas CD-18. #txlege #redistricting

https://twitter.com/RANewsTX/status/1446504414081077253

Huffman says proposed floor amndmnts are being rejected (fyi: none are up for debate yet) b/c they don't work under current law. But if they're legal, don't affect partisan #s of surrounding districts & maintain the deviation, she'll leave it to will of the Senate. #SB6 #txlege

Miles asks about why Missouri City was kept in #TX9 but most of Fort Bend portion of current #TX9 was moved into a new district in #SB6.

Fact check: they moved into #TX7 & #TX22

Huffman's reasons: High growth, pop. shifts & keeping existing minority majority districts. #txlege

Hinojosa asking questions now. He says he has an amendment to make #RGV districts #TX15 (V. Gonzalez) & #TX34 (open seat as @FilemonVela is retiring) more competitive. #SB6 cmte sub is left & Hinojosa amendment (PLANC2126) is right. #txlege

We're onto floor amendments now. First up is @SenatorNichols w/Amndmnt 1 (PLANC2119) swapping parts fo Cherokee & Freestone counties. It's acceptable to the author. Adopted 19-12. #SB6 dvr.capitol.texas.gov/Congress/44/PL…

Amendment 2 (PLANC2122) by @SenBryanHughes. It makes Smith County is made whole, maintains Upshur county split b/w #TX1, #TX4, #TX5, & another change. This is proposed by the Congressional members. It's acceptable to the author. Adopted 19-12. #SB6 #txlege dvr.capitol.texas.gov/Congress/44/PL…

Amndmnt 3 (PLANC2110) by Sen. @CesarJBlanco would restore Fort Bliss & El Paso Int'l Airport back into #TX16 from #TX23. Blanco claims it swaps the necessary precincts to keep the deviation to 0%. Zoomed in amndmnt (left) & #SB6 now (right). dvr.capitol.texas.gov/Congress/37/PL… #txlege

Huffman opposes amendment 3, says it is inconsistent w/redistricting objectives. Fort Bliss would be represented by #TX23 under #SB6 (PLANC2116) and argues @TonyGonzales4TX is a veteran & will represent it well (along w/Lackland Air Force Base). #txlege

https://twitter.com/RANewsTX/status/1446523051328344065

Amendment 3 to move Fort Bliss & El Paso Int'l Airport back into #TX16 from #TX23 in #SB6 fails 13-18. #txlege #redistricting

Amendment 4 (PLANC2127) by @Menendez4Texas restores some precincts w/Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio to #TX20 (@JoaquinCastrotx) from #TX23 (@TonyGonzales4TX). Huffman opposes it for the same reasons she opposed Blanco's amendment. It fails 13-18. #SB6 #txlege

Amendment 5 (PLANC2124) by Sen. @RolandForTexas puts Fort Bliss back into #TX16. It also involves #TX28 (Cuellar), #TX21 (Roy), #TX10 (McCaul) & #TX35 (Doggett). Said 2 Dems & 1 Republican asked for one of the changes. #SB6 #txlege dvr.capitol.texas.gov/Congress/44/PL…

Amndmnt 6 (PLANC2132), which amends Amndmnt 5, would restore Lackland Air Force Base to #TX20. Huffman opposes b/c there wasn't enough time to review it & there is not a compelling/legal reason to change the cmte sub for #SB6(?). It fails 13-18. dvr.capitol.texas.gov/Congress/44/PL… #txlege

Huffman opposes Amendment 5. Said there isn't a compelling reason to make this change to the cmte sub for #SB6 and that it doesn't meet her redistricting objectives (which recall includes partisan considerations). It fails 10-20. #txlege

https://twitter.com/RANewsTX/status/1446527386116399119

Amendment 7 (PLAN2126) by Sen. @TxChuy is the one he referenced before to make more competitive, including #TX34. Republicans already want to make #TX15 competitive. #SB6 #txlege

https://twitter.com/RANewsTX/status/1446519961011343360

Huffman says amendment 7 negatively impacts a neighboring district & doesn't meet her #redistricting objectives. She can't comment on legal advice, but she believes this amendment increases litigation risk. It fails 13-17. #SB6 #txlege

https://twitter.com/RANewsTX/status/1446529094800351267

Missed this comment earlier:

https://twitter.com/JeremySWallace/status/1446526541203128320

Amndmnt 8 (PLANC2123) is what Sen. @BorrisLMiles referenced earlier. Huffman already said she's against it b/c it's not legal & minority pop. # dropping. He said it's supported by Reps. @RepAlGreen and @sjl4hrc & isn't opposed by @RepSylviaGarcia. #txlege

https://twitter.com/RANewsTX/status/1446510076118933507

Sen. @Menendez4Texas said he supports Miles Amendment 8.

Menendez asks if it's unintentionally discriminating against minorities. Miles said yes. #SB6 #txlege

Huffman agrees it's desirable w/SJL's residence & community of interest back in her district. She just heard her amendment to fix this issue was rejected by Houston Sens. so she will withdraw it. #SB6 #txlege

Huffman also says on Miles amendment 8 that it won't consistently provide AfAms in the district candidate of choice. BVAP drops from 35.9% in cmte sub to 33.0% in amendment. Said that's the threshold at which experts think it could violate VRA. #SB6 #txlege

Amendment 8 fails 13-18. #SB6 #txlege

https://twitter.com/RANewsTX/status/1446530634185416745

Amendment 9 (PLANC2128) by Huffman. She says it would fix the issue of SJL's residence & community of interest being put back in #TX18. She said it'd keep the BVAP at 35.8%. B/c it was not agreeable to Houston state Sens., she withdraws it. #SB6 #txlege

https://twitter.com/RANewsTX/status/1446504414081077253

Amendment 10 (PLANC2129) by Gutierrez is a statewide plan. It adds 3 more Hispanic majority CVAP districts & 1 more African American opportunity district. #txlege dvr.capitol.texas.gov/Congress/44/PL…

Amendment 11 (PLANC2133) by Gutierrez would amend his Amendment 10: dvr.capitol.texas.gov/Congress/44/PL…
He calls it a perfecting amendment. Huffman opposes b/c it was filed shortly before the debate & she didn't have enough time to review it. It fails 13-18.
#SB6 #txlege

Back to Amendment 10, Gutierrez talks to Menendez and says #SB6 as proposed by Republicans is "clearly a power grab for the Republican Party." Gutierrez gives example of #TX6 diluting Hispanic voting power. #txlege

Huffman's on Amndmnt 10: it puts numerous members of congress at risk of reelection. Hispanic CVAP is not enough to create new minority opportunity districts. It creates new #TX38 in DFW, similar to #TX33 but not compact. Since HVAP is <52%, she claims it's a racial gerrymander.

Huffman also says that this amendment was filed only 24 hours before the floor debate. Amendment 10 fails 12-19. One Democrat split to vote with Rs. #SB6 #txlege

https://twitter.com/RANewsTX/status/1446534056208998408

Amendment 12 (PLANC2131) by Miles is a statewide floor substitute. He says it doesn't have approval by TX congressional delegation. Says it fixes the issue of 200K people taken out of #TX9 & #TX18. It ultimately fails 13-18. #SB6 #txlege

The Texas Senate passes the proposed congressional map, #SB6, as amended on the floor, by a vote of 18-13, along partisan lines.

There's another vote before it clears the Senate and heads to the House. Members will speak for/against the bill then. #txlege #redistricting

We're onto a new legislative day by #txlege magic. Menendez gives a speech in opposition to the proposed congressional map #SB6. He cites Sotomayor. Said race matters & said despite attempt to draw race blind, the net effect of this map dilutes power of.

[cont. Menendez quote] ...dilutes power of people of color.

Breaking: Texas Senate finally passes the proposed Texas Congressional map, #SB6, by a vote of 18-13 along partisan lines.

Despite 95% of TX's pop. growth in the last decade being non-white, there are no new minority opportunity districts & Republican power is shored up. #txlege

The Senate's proposed map for the 38 congressional districts, #SB6, now heads to the Texas House. We'll post the new map when it's uploaded to district viewer & @TXLegeCouncil. Thanks for following. Story tk. #txlege

Might've missed it but did none of the Texas Senate Democrats make a motion to have comments during the congressional redistricting map debate (#SB6) be reduced to writing and placed in the journal? Last time, @NathanForTexas did it for #SB4. cc: @txlegequeens #txlege

We now have the Senate engrossed version of the proposed Congressional maps, #SB6 (PLANC2135).

Viewer: dvr.capitol.texas.gov/Congress/0/PLA…
Dataset: data.capitol.texas.gov/dataset/planc2…
#txlege