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Court Approves Interim Maps For 2014 Election

State of Texas District Viewer

Late Friday a federal court in San Antonio decided that the State of Texas could use voting maps from this summer’s special session on a temporary basis ahead of the 2014 March primaries. 

The decision is the latest in the on-going battle in the state over redistricting and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is claiming this one as a victory.

Abbott released this statement:

"We are pleased that the court agreed to allow the 2014 elections to proceed on time using the new maps drawn by the legislature. That certainly benefits all Texans."  

Abbott remains confident that the legislature’s maps will be vindicated, either in the San Antonio federal district court or at the U.S. Supreme Court. But part of an undecided portion of a court battle to get the 2011 Republican-drawn maps completely thrown out may still delay the 2014 elections. 

Nina Perales with the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund said a section of their lawsuit asked the court to require all future and past voting maps to have pre-clearance by the federal court before they can be used, which would apply retroactively to the 2013 maps passed this summer.

If the San Antonio federal court decides to rope Texas back under that section of the Voting Rights Act it would delay the upcoming election.

Ryan started his radio career in 2002 working for Austin’s News Radio KLBJ-AM as a show producer for the station's organic gardening shows. This slowly evolved into a role as the morning show producer and later as the group’s executive producer.