Resource: Fair Maps Texas Action Comm. v. Abbott

On November 16, 2021, a coalition of civil and voting rights organizations and Texas voters filed a federal lawsuit against Texas's Governor and Secretary of State challenging the state's enacted congressional and legislative redistricting plans as violating the U.S. Constitution and the federal Voting Rights Act. The plaintiffs allege that the enacted plans were enacted with the intention and effect of diluting the voting strength of minority groups across the state in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. They also assert that the plans are intentionally racially discriminatory against Black and Hispanic Texas voters in violation of the 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Finally, plaintiffs claim that the plans are racial gerrymanders in violation of the 14th Amendment because race was the state's predominant consideration when deciding where to place various district boundaries in all three types of plans. Plaintiffs are seeking a judicial declaration that the enacted congressional and legislative plans violate the U.S. Constitution and federal law, an injunction barring the defendants from implementing or utilizing the plans in any future elections, for the court to adopt interim redistricting plans for the 2022 elections if needed, and for the court to otherwise require new, valid redistricting plans be adopted.