In the news: Redistricting battles heat up; companies pull out of contract deals with state

The back and forth is set to escalate Wednesday when a three-judge panel in Washington holds a hearing on the state's request to clear the redistricting maps

By Aman Batheja
Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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The 2012 Texas primaries are more than four months away, but the next two weeks could have a major impact on how some of those races play out.

Lawsuits over the political maps that Texas lawmakers passed this year and that Gov. Rick Perry signed into law are scheduled to move forward, with the outcomes potentially influencing the political futures of Democrats and Republicans statewide.

Federal judges in Washington, D.C., and San Antonio are considering allegations that the redistricting plans were designed to reduce the voting power of minorities. A hearing in the case is set for today in San Antonio.

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Dallas News | By Kelley Shannon (Oct. 29) More companies pull out of deal to bring jobs to Texas – Four companies pulled out of their Texas Enterprise Fund contracts in the past year, and three others changed their agreements as Gov. Rick Perry embarked on a presidential run based on his job creation record. The state originally gave the businesses hundreds of thousands or millions in taxpayer dollars to locate jobs in Texas.

Empower Texans | Constitutional amendments (Oct. 27) Passing Prop 1 right thing to do; defeat Props 4 & 7 to help end property tax – Ultimately, the state should look to phase out the property tax system altogether and transition those government services dependent on it to the more equitable and stable state sales tax. It doesn’t take a Ph.D. to realize the problems that naturally occur when an unelected board is responsible for assessing the value of your home.

Ballot News | By Jimmy Ardis (Oct. 28, 2011) DOJ says Texas redistricting plan discriminatory and retrogressive – The DOJ’s briefs claim that “discriminatory intent permeated the congressional redistricting process, based on a broad array of circumstantial evidence…Texas unsurprisingly disagreed with the DOJ’s take and stood behind the maps.

Austin Statesman | By Tim Eaton (Updated Oct. 31) Redistricting court battles to heat up this week – The racially charged battle over newly drawn political districts in Texas will heat up this week, with scheduled court hearings in San Antonio and Washington. But don't expect a resolution on redistricting anytime soon.