| |
| |
|
|
A JOINT RESOLUTION
|
|
|
proposing a constitutional amendment to establish certain |
|
|
principles and procedures for the drawing of congressional |
|
|
districts. |
|
|
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended by |
|
|
adding Section 28-a to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 28-a. (a) The legislature's authority established by |
|
|
Section 1 of this article includes the authority to enact |
|
|
congressional redistricting plans for this state following a |
|
|
federal decennial census. When enacting a congressional plan, the |
|
|
legislature shall comply with the following principles to the |
|
|
extent practicable and authorized by law: |
|
|
(1) districts must keep intact identifiable |
|
|
communities of interest defined by social, economic, racial, |
|
|
ethnic, cultural, industrial, commercial, or geographic |
|
|
commonalities; |
|
|
(2) districts must respect the integrity of the |
|
|
state's basic geographical regions; |
|
|
(3) districts must be geographically compact and |
|
|
composed of convenient contiguous territory; |
|
|
(4) districts must be coterminous with the boundaries |
|
|
of counties and municipalities and not unnecessarily divide |
|
|
counties or municipalities; |
|
|
(5) districts must be composed solely of undivided |
|
|
census tracts; |
|
|
(6) districts may not be drawn based on partisan |
|
|
political considerations or with intent to favor or disfavor any |
|
|
specific person, political party, or other organization; |
|
|
(7) districts must be as nearly equal in population as |
|
|
practicable and feasible in accordance with these principles; and |
|
|
(8) redistricting plans must comply with state and |
|
|
federal constitutional requirements. |
|
|
(b) The Supreme Court of Texas has original jurisdiction of |
|
|
a legal challenge to a congressional redistricting plan enacted by |
|
|
the legislature. |
|
|
(c) The legislature may not redistrict this state's |
|
|
congressional districts more than once following each federal |
|
|
decennial census except to replace a plan ordered by a court with a |
|
|
plan enacted by the legislature. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
|
|
submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 8, 2011. |
|
|
The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or against the |
|
|
proposition: "The constitutional amendment to establish fair |
|
|
redistricting principles and procedures for the drawing of |
|
|
congressional districts for the State of Texas." |