AUSTIN – Attorney General Ken Paxton today initiated an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court over the recent redistricting ruling by filing a notice of appeal with the U.S. District Court in San Antonio. A panel of the district court decided that two of Texas’ 36 Congressional districts (27 and 35) are unlawful. This ruling effectively prevents Texas from using the same court-adopted maps in 2018 that it has used in each of the last three election cycles.
“Judges should get out of the business of drawing maps,” Attorney General Paxton said. “We firmly believe that the maps Texas used in the last three election cycles are lawful, and we will aggressively defend the maps on all fronts.”
In today’s filing, Texas also seeks a stay of the lower court’s ruling pending the Supreme Court’s review of the case. The motion advises that Governor Abbott respectfully declines the court’s invitation at this time to ask the Legislature to take up redistricting, reserving his constitutional power to convene the Legislature if the Supreme Court ultimately determines the state’s maps violate the law.
View Defendant’s opposition motion to stay order on Plan C235 pending appeal of that order or a final judgment here: http://bit.ly/2whTopu
View the notice of appeal here: http://bit.ly/2wpyHHa