South Asians are protected by the Voting Acts Rights of 1965 Click here to learn more
Sample Testimony from SAAVETX members Click here to get ideas
General Talking points
What to include in Redistricting Testimony?
Process Talking Points:
1.) Hold hearings with virtual testimony on the map proposals themselves at least 1-week notice before the hearing and map proposals made public at least at the time of notice
2.) Include with any map a report on how the district plans affect the ability of Voting Rights Act-protected groups to elect candidates of their choice
Geographic Talking Points
1.) El Paso: For El Pasoans who are part of a district that stretches East out of El Paso County, to be connected with similar cultural and demographic communities so as not to dilute their voting power. Last redistricting cycle, the Legislature was found to have intentionally discriminated by diluting the voting power of East El Pasoans.
2.) Central Texas: Travis County not diluted by splitting it up unnecessarily. Bell County gets two whole state representative seats -- currently the diverse Killeen community is split apart and diluted by connecting it to the distant, rural, majority Anglo Lampasas. Central Texas: For Senate: SD 25 most overpopulated -- keep like communities together; the rural hill country areas should form their own district and not split more urban hill country communities such as San Marcos
3.) Houston: Explosive growth in communities of color, particularly in Western Harris/Fort Bend County, led to Texas gaining epresentation in Congress, and additional Texas House representation in Fort Bend County. These new districts need to be drawn to give political power to the communities which grew and not used as a tool to bolster the representational power of others
Census Data:
- Fort Bend: Asian population grew by 83% during last decade; Latinx population grew by 43%; Black population grew by 41%; White population actually shrank by 5%
- Fort Bend county is now almost 70% non-white, but the current districts do not elect candidates who represent this diversity.
4.) DFW: Same as with Houston area -- driving growth of the state, and all of that growth is coming from communities of color. This needs to equate to new districts which represent those communities.
Census Data:
○ Collin County: Asian population grew by 113%; Black population grew by 73%; Latinx population grew by 47%; White population only grew by 3%
○ Denton County: Asian population - 115%; Black - 84.5%; White 5.9%
○ Tarrant: Asian- 56%; Black - 41.2%; Latinx - 28.6%; White alone - lost 27.1%
○ Dallas: Asian - 53%; Latinx - 16.8%; Black - 11.6%; White alone - lost 13.4%
5.) AAPI under-representation: increased by 66.5%; makeup 6.3% of total population now - no representation in Texas Senate or Congress