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A JOINT RESOLUTION
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proposing a constitutional amendment to establish certain |
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principles and procedures for the drawing of districts for the |
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Texas Senate, the Texas House of Representatives, and the United |
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States House of Representatives. |
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 26, Article III, Texas Constitution, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 26. The members of the House of Representatives shall |
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be apportioned among districts of contiguous territory [the several
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counties, according to the number of population in each, as nearly
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as may be,] on a ratio obtained by dividing the population of the |
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State, as ascertained by the most recent United States census, by |
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the number of members of which the House is composed[; provided,
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that whenever a single county has sufficient population to be
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entitled to a Representative, such county shall be formed into a
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separate Representative District, and when two or more counties are
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required to make up the ratio of representation, such counties
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shall be contiguous to each other; and when any one county has more
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than sufficient population to be entitled to one or more
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Representatives, such Representative or Representatives shall be
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apportioned to such county, and for any surplus of population it may
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be joined in a Representative District with any other contiguous
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county or counties]. |
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SECTION 2. Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended by |
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adding Section 28a to read as follows: |
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Sec. 28a. (a) The legislature's authority established |
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under Section 1 of this article includes the authority to adopt |
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redistricting plans for the election of the Texas Senate, the Texas |
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House of Representatives, and the members of the United States |
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House of Representatives elected from this state after the |
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publication of each United States decennial census. |
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(b) A plan for the election of the Texas Senate, the Texas |
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House of Representatives, and the members of the United States |
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House of Representatives elected from this state adopted by the |
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legislature must conform to the following principles: |
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1. A plan shall respect the integrity of the state's basic |
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geographic regions to the extent practicable. |
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2. A plan shall avoid unnecessarily dividing counties and |
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municipalities in the formation of districts. District lines shall |
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to the extent practicable be coterminous with the boundaries of |
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these political subdivisions. |
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3. A plan shall to the extent practicable keep intact |
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communities of interest defined by social, economic, racial, |
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ethnic, cultural, industrial, commercial, and geographic |
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commonalities. |
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4. A district shall be composed solely of undivided census |
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tracts as the smallest unit of redistricting. |
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5. A district shall be geographically compact and composed |
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of convenient contiguous territory. |
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6. A plan may not be drawn with consideration to partisan |
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political effect or with intent to favor or disfavor any specific |
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person, political party, or other organization. |
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7. A plan must comply with state and federal constitutional |
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and statutory requirements, including the federal Voting Rights Act |
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of 1965 (52 U.S.C. Section 10101 et seq.). |
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8. The districts in a plan must be equal in population as |
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nearly as practicable in accordance with the other principles |
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described by this subsection. |
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9. In addition to the requirements of federal law, districts |
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must be drawn in a manner that does not discriminate on the basis of |
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race, color, or membership in a language minority group by ensuring |
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the voting strength of racial, ethnic, and language minorities in |
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the districts is not diluted in a manner that deprives minority |
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voters of an equal opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice. |
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(c) The Supreme Court of Texas has original jurisdiction of |
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a legal challenge to a plan enacted by the legislature. |
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(d) The legislature may not redistrict this state's |
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districts adopted for the election of the Texas Senate, the Texas |
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House of Representatives, and the members of the United States |
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House of Representatives elected from this state more than once |
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following each census except to replace a plan ordered by a court |
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with a plan enacted by the legislature. |
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SECTION 3. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
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submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 3, 2015. |
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The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or against the |
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proposition: "The constitutional amendment to establish certain |
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principles and procedures for the drawing of districts for the |
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Texas Senate, the Texas House of Representatives, and the United |
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States House of Representatives." |