AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Legislature passed four new redistricting maps for the state during its third special session. Gov. Greg Abbott must sign the maps before they become law.
The new maps outline the districts for elections to the U.S. Congress, Texas House, Texas Senate and Texas Board of Education (SBOE) for the next 10 years. KVUE is breaking down what the difference between the old and new maps are.
U.S. Congressional
The number of congressional seats each state is allocated is determined by U.S. census data. Texas gained two new seats, which means two new districts, due to population growth for the next decade.
According to census data, 95% of Texas's population growth were people of color. However, the new U.S. Congressional District map gives white voters control of the two new districts, one in Houston and one in Austin.
Specifically, 50% of new Texas residents in the past 10 years were Hispanic.
Texas House
The Texas Legislature approved the redistricting map for the Texas House of Representatives on Oct. 15.
There are 150 districts in the Texas House map. According to a report from The Texas Tribune, the majority of the districts are Republican-leaning.
The new map has drawn criticism for potentially deceasing the influence of Hispanic and Black voters'. Compared to the previous map, Hispanics make up the majority of eligible voters in 30 districts instead of 33. Districts with majority Black voters went down from seven to six.
However, districts with a majority of white voters increased from 83 to 89, according to The Texas Tribune.
Of the 150 re-drawn districts, 85 would have gone for former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election and 65 for President Joe Biden.
Texas Senate
The Texas State Senate map is comprised of 31 districts, meaning 31 senators.
According to The Texas Tribune, the re-drawn map has 20 districts where the majority of voters are white, seven with a majority of Hispanic voters, one with a majority of Black voters and three with no racial majority.
The previous map had 21 districts where the majority of voters are white, seven with a majority of Hispanic voters, one with a majority of Black voters and two with no racial majority.
State Board of Education
The Texas Legislature also approved the State's Board of Education Map during the special session. The Texas Board of Education (SBOE) is made up 15 members.
Currently, nine SBOE members are Republicans and six are Democrats, according to The Texas Tribune.
The re-drawn map changes the districts' political leanings slightly. During the 2020 election, seven SBOE districts voted for President Biden. However, only six districts included in the new map would have voted for President Biden.
The legislature's third special session wrapped up on the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 19.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: