Three State Hearings on redistricting will occur in three cities over five days. State Rep. Jolanda Jones (Dist. 147) held two meetings in Houston to let her constituents know what they are up against regarding the impact if redistricting happens according to the desires of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
Also a player in this state issue is President Donald Trump, who, according to Jones, gave Texas GOP leaders their marching orders to put state redistricting in motion.
Abbott and his Republican clan are moving full steam ahead with their plans to redraw Texas voting districts and the three required public hearings are upon us. One will be held in Austin on July 24 at 2 p.m. (Texas Capitol, Appropriations Committee Room). The second hearing will be held on Saturday, July 26, at 11 a.m. at the University of Houston Main Campus (Student Center South, 4455 University Drive, Houston 77204).
The third hearing will occur at the University of Texas at Arlington (701 S. Nedderman Drive, Arlington, TX 76019). The start time for the third hearing is 5 pm (as of the posting of this article).
And from Jones’ perspective, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
“Let me be clear; this is not about power, this is about race,” she said.
Testify
Jones’ main message to attendees of her redistricting meeting was to show up and testify at the State Redistricting Hearings.
What’s at stake is Black representation. The 9th, 18th and 29th districts, all represented by people of color, will potentially lose the ability to elect Black and Brown representatives if lines are redrawn to dilute Black and Brown voting power via “cracking” or “packing.”
“Cracking” is the process by which voter maps are redrawn to dilute the voting power of a particular group or political party to give the opposing political party a better chance of winning in that district, especially in districts where that opposing party traditionally did not fare well in past elections.
“Packing” is drawing district maps in such a way that one party is guaranteed a majority of voting members in that district, and is thus almost guaranteed victory during elections.
“I think that we have to go and testify at the public hearings, no matter how inconvenient it may be,” said Jones. “If they remove one Black seat from Houston, we’re probably never going to get it back because our population is [only] 12.33% of Texas.”
Maps
According to Jones, state officials currently have 20 different maps with potential redistricting layouts. Any individual or organization can submit a map to be considered. Jones said that of the 20 maps, one came from out of state and another was submitted by a University of Texas student organization, the Young Conservatives of Texas.
Jones believes GOP officials were given a map they will eventually choose, one that hasn’t been made public to avoid citizen scrutiny.
“I believe they have a map. They’re just not showing it,” said Jones.
When asked about maps submitted by Black people and/or organizations, Jones said, “LULAC has filed claims (proposed maps), but the NAACP has not.”
New rules
Jones said rules like “preclearance” that protected minority groups from voter discrimination and voter suppression are gone, making this current move to redraw Texas voting maps a clear-and-present danger.
“So, the Supreme Court has said I can redraw lines so I can win. That’s not illegal,” shared Jones. “If I can crack or pack a district so that I have a better chance to win, that is legal. That didn’t used to be legal.”
Plan?
Beyond attending the State Hearings and testifying why redistricting should cease, Jones offered sobering news and a few suggestions.
“We do not have a plan. Let me be clear. We do not have a plan,” said Jones, regarding Democrats in the State Legislature.
Jones suggested that Black people, and all people, take personal action and commit to a long-haul fight.
“At least during segregation, we knew we had to do it for ourselves. With integration, we thought we could count on other people,” said Jones. “I’m respectfully suggesting to you, we’ve got to be our own heroes. We’ve got to be our own saviors. And we better show up, because the world is run by those who show up. Question is, are you going to show up?”
Quorum-breaking: yes or no
Jones addressed a strategy that some elected officials and members of the public are suggesting to fight against the current move to redistrict Texas maps: Breaking quorum by leaving Austin, like Democrats did during the 88th State Legislature.
However, Jones is against quorum-breaking if the financial support for the quorum breakers is nonexistent. She said that after the Democrats left Austin during the 88th Legislative Session, GOP lawmakers created a list of penalties for those who broke quorum.
Those penalties include a $500 daily fine, the threat of legal detention and the cost of paying all fees related to tracking down and returning individuals who broke quorum. Jones also mentioned that, though many people believe state representatives are well-paid, she said their salary is $600 per month, though they do also receive a per diem to pay for lodging and meals.
The $500 per day fine alone would devastate lawmakers who are not independently wealthy.
Still, meeting attendee Dr. Candice Matthews argued that elected officials had signed up for such moves when they took office.
Jones countered, “I did not sign up for this, but even if I did, my employees did not.”
Jones referred to her law practice, for which she said she works tirelessly for 17 months to serve five months every two years, because the $600 per month is inadequate for anyone to live on.
“I have employees who work for me, who if I don’t pay them, they can’t pay their bills,” said Jones. “So, it is not just me. Let me be clear. And I did not sign up to cause my employees, whose families depend on me, to get evicted or lose whatever. I also did not sign up to break a lease for my business.”
Community response
Rickie Bradford Jr., a member of W.I.P.O. (Watch It Pay Off) Youth Development, a local non-profit, attended the meeting to learn how best to help those served by his organization.
“At W.I.P.O., we do a lot in the community, so redistricting affects us. It affects the youth that we deal with firsthand,” said Bradford. “Some people like to give back without knowing what’s going on, but we like to come to these town hall meetings and see what’s actually going on.”
From community activist Shandra Henson-Whittaker’s perspective, it’s clear what’s going on with redistricting.
“Redistricting is a whole conspiracy to eliminate the voices of Black and Brown people within our community,” said Henson-Whittaker. “And if we allow it to happen, whether it be through intimidation, gerrymandering, however you want to sum it up, it’s wrong.
“We’re a small population in the state of Texas, but we do need a voice. And if our voice cannot be heard, then we get dismissed, our children’s education fails, the services and the things that we need don’t happen.”
