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Background

A few months ago, Texans and their Democratic representatives stood up to a redistricting power-grab by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's. It was a tremendous victory, but now DeLay is at it again -- he's pressuring the Legislature again to eliminate Democratic Congressional seats and replace them with Republican ones. His gerrymandering plan will carve up communities around Texas in order to further his unambiguous goal: "I'm the majority leader, and we want more seats." (Rep. DeLay quoted in the New York Times, July 1, 2003)

For more on the redistricting fight, also check out the following article:

ACROSS U.S., REDISTRICTING AS A NEVER-ENDING BATTLE
By David M. Halbfinger
July 1, 2003
http://www.nytimes.com

Here's an excerpt:

"For most of the past century, redistricting has been a fairly predictable though often contentious ritual. Every 10 years, state legislators would use the new census data to redraw Congressional district lines, and the party in power would usually manage to draw maps that gave it an advantage.

Now, thanks to a determined effort by United States Representative Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, with the quiet support of the White House, that tradition may be crumbling, as legislatures draw new districts whenever they have a partisan advantage.

Today, the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature opened an extraordinary special session devoted solely to redrawing the state's 32 Congressional districts. If Republicans succeed in doing so, they could remove five or more Democratic congressmen and help their party consolidate its hold on power in Washington."