A second lawsuit, brought by local branches of the League of Women Voters and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), had been listed as pending as of Monday, but updated filings show it was dismissed Nov. 28.<\/p>\n
Republican County Judge Tim O\u2019Hare, who led the redistricting effort, announced the second case\u2019s dismissal in a Facebook post.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe followed the law. And Tarrant County will be the better for it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, the Republican majority on the Tarrant County Commissioners Court voted to redraw the court\u2019s precincts, giving themselves an extra right-leaning seat. Critics accused them of doing that by packing Black and Hispanic voters into a single precinct, diluting their voting power.<\/p>\n
The ruling left Alberto Govea, president of Fort Worth\u2019s LULAC Council 4568, wondering if he can get justice in Tarrant County, he said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis illegal redistricting scheme is an attack on our communities\u2019 ability to vote for representatives that know and understand our needs,\u201d Govea said. \u201cThis decision must be challenged both in the courts and streets. This is not party politics. This denies people their right to equal representation.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the League of Women Voters and LULAC case, the county contended the court had no jurisdiction in the case, and that redistricting had partisan motives, not racial ones.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs such, the diminished ability to elect a Democrat is not an injury,\u201d county attorneys wrote in a September filing.<\/p>\n
Judge Megan Fahey agreed with the county and dismissed the case.<\/p>\n
Attorneys with the Texas Civil Rights Project represented the local League of Women Voters and LULAC branches in the lawsuit. The county misread the law, TCRP said in a press release.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven as Defendant County Judge O\u2019Hare and the Commissioners Court try to avoid accountability for their undemocratic and discriminatory map, we will never stop working to amplify the voices of Tarrant County residents and communities of color,\u201d TCRP attorney Nina Oishi said.<\/p>\n
The dismissal could be appealed, Republican Commissioner Matt Krause, who is also an attorney, wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if it is appealed, I would expect the ruling to be upheld,\u201d he wrote. \u201cAnother very positive development and another blow to those who gaslighted hundreds throughout the redistricting process.\u201d<\/p>\n
Three out of the five commissioners court members face an election next year: Republicans O\u2019Hare and Manny Ramirez, and Democrat Alisa Simmons.<\/p>\n
All three have said\u00a0they plan to run.<\/a>\u00a0The new map made Simmons\u2019 Precinct 2 more conservative, threatening her chances for reelection. Retiring Republican State Rep. Tony Tinderholt\u00a0plans to challenge for the seat<\/a>.<\/p>\n Simmons\u2019 longtime deputy, Gabe Rivas,\u00a0has also filed to run<\/a>\u00a0as a Democrat.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n
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