On Friday, a three-judge federal panel redrew several Texas Congressional districts after a long partisan battle with Election Day implications.  The Supreme Court declared the existing map, redrawn in 2003 by the Republican controlled state Legislature, unconstitutional because it significantly weakened Hispanic strength in the 23rd Congressional District - a violation of section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

The expansive 23rd District currently stretches from El Paso County in the West to parts of Webb and Bexar (San Antonio) Counties in the South.  Under the new plans, Webb County has been moved entirely into the 28th District, and Kerr, Kendall, Bandera, and Real Counties have been added to the 21st District.

Additionally, several solidly Hispanic neighborhoods in southern Bexar Country have been added to the 23rd District.  Hispanics will constitute 61 percent of the voting-age population in the revised 23rd District, a 10 percent increase from the 2004 figure.

For more information about Friday's decision, check out the panel's ruling and the new map (pdf).

The Massachusetts Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice has sued the city of Springfield for denying minority groups equal opportunities to cast votes.  The lawsuit claims that:

The lawsuit hinges upon several recently extended provisions of the Voting Rights Act that, inter alia, provide for language assistance in jurisdictions with significant minority populations.  If true, the case demonstrates that voting rights injustices need not be confined to Southern states.  It's a national problem.

As you may already know, President Bush today signed into law the bill that keeps the expiring portions of the Voting Rights Act on the books for another 25 years.

But what's been more surprising has been the speed with which the bill moved through the Senate last week. That story illustrates how Congress can do amazing things in an election year.

After all these months of pushing, then the last minute worries that certain obstructionists on the Hill would block it, we've finally reached our goal.  Today President Bush, surrounded by a large group of civil rights and congressional leaders, signed the Voting Rights Act extension, protecting its provisions for another 25 years.

Thanks to President Bush for seeing this legislation through, and thanks to all the Common Cause activists out there who answered our calls to write, phone, email, and shout at your legislators to make this happen.

If you look at the surface of last week's overwhelming vote by the House in favor of extending the protections of the Voting Rights Act, you would think that everything was all right.  Despite the presence of four amendments that would weaken the act, the House actually got a higher number of members to support reauthorization this time around (390) than it did 24 years ago (389).  Even today's Roll Call signaled an easier time in the Senate:  "VRA Moves Into Calmer Waters
Senators Expect Smooth Sailing," the headline over today's story read.

But then consider this: The House vote flew in the face of Speaker Dennis Hastert's plan to move only legislation supported by a majority of the 230-member House Republican caucus. It's true that a majority of both parties voted to pass the bill, but a majority of Republicans supported each of the amendments that would have seriously damaged, if not gutted, the Voting Rights Act. Only a strong showing of House Democrats' discipline kept the amendments out of the bill.

The House is scheduled to vote today on HR 9, legislation renewing and strengthening the landmark Voting Rights Act  Rep.

Voting Rights Act of 1965 played a major role in protecting the voting rights of African-Americans, Latinos and people who are not fully proficient in English.  Many credit the act as the most effective civil rights bill enacted in American history.

Call your representative NOW at (202) 224-3121. Tell your representative:  I urge you to fully support H.R. 9 and oppose any harmful amendments.

Being from Texas myself, I know firsthand some of the downright silly things that can come out of peoples' mouths down there.  However, this editorial from the University of Texas-Austin newspaper highlighting some choice quotes from Representative John Carter (R-TX) regarding his opposition to renewing the Voting Rights Act left even me with my jaw on the floor.