When it comes to gerrymandering, or the redrawing of political lines to favor a political party, Texas has come under fire over the past couple of decades. Republican lawmakers in Austin have consistently redrawn the map to ensure that Republicans would fare better in elections.
Recently, the US Supreme Court ruled in a case involving Arizona that voters have the right to take this ability away from lawmakers, with the creation of independent commissions in charge of drawing fair district lines. Still,The Texas Tribune reports that critics aren’t convinced that anything will change any time soon in Texas—as the lawmakers themselves would have to put the measure on the ballot. They aren’t likely to do that, as it would mean jeopardizing their own power. Representative Donna Howard of Austin said the only way things will change is if the people demand reform, and gerrymandering just isn’t a sexy issue.
