Texas sued over redistricting representation

[Eldorado]

Taking Texas to court again over voting laws, civil rights groups sued Monday over redrawn U.S. House districts that they allege thwart the political strength of a booming Latino population that is driving the state's explosive growth.

The maps that overhaul how Texas' nearly 30 million residents are sorted into political districts — and who is elected to represent them — bookends a highly charged year in the state over voting rights. Democratic lawmakers twice walked out on an elections bill that tightened the state's already strict voting rules, which they called a brazen attempt to disenfranchise minorities and other Democratic-leaning voters.

Houston Chronicle

[Gromdor]

Gerrymandering.  Making elections unnecessary by guaranteeing a political party will win in a district.  Texas isn't the only state that does this.  Illinois is doing it as well and it was so shameless that some Democrats over there were actually starting to feel guilty about it.

The sad thing is that it doesn't just guarantee your own party wins in a state but also your competition.  It's a way the parties divy up elected positions with whoever is currently in power getting to choose for the next ten years.

I know over here in Iowa we have people that run unopposed because of it.  It's also great for creating career politicians.