The chairman of the House Redistricting Committee indicated they are willing to provide some flexibility in the development of new election maps for the state.
Like his counterpart in the Senate Redistricting Committee, Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, said he will entertain alternative voting maps during the special session.
"I intend for this committee to actively debate and consider alternatives to legislation brought before this committee. I believe the court-ordered interim maps are legally sufficient, but I am not willing to rubber stamp any proposal that hasn’t been evaluated by this committee and appropriate alternatives considered," Darby said.
While Rep. Trey Martinez-Fisher appreciates Darby’s willingness, he doesn’t agree with his assessment of the interim maps.
"There were findings of intentional discrimination, which means it’s not an accident, and if you look at the record, you will see a tremendous amount of activity from members of this House. You will see emails that suggest the pattern of discrimination that was deployed. You will see the collaboration and coordination of outside groups working with these former senior members to control litigation," Martinez Fischer said.
One thing that is for sure, the special session won’t go quickly as redistricting leaders indicate the earliest lawmakers would be voting on the issue would be sometime in the middle of June.
