Every 10 years, after the census, Texas state legislators gather to redraw our congressional and state legislative district boundaries. The legislators are tasked with ensuring that these districts are drawn fairly and with transparency so that the new districts have nearly equal populations and do not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.

Unfortunately, in every redistricting cycle in the last half-century, Texas has been found to have intentionally discriminated against people of color or violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965. A federal court found intentional discrimination in the last round of redistricting in 2011 and highlighted a secret process and the exclusion of minority and public input during the process. 

This typical closed-door process with backroom deals between politicians undermines democracy. Instead of voters picking politicians, you end up with politicians picking their voters. Texas is one of the most gerrymandered states in the country.

Redistricting impacts every aspect of our lives. As a practical matter, it determines which politicians get to vote on the issues each of us care about, from healthcare, to education, to immigration, and beyond. When politicians pick their voters, they have no incentive to be responsive to the actual wishes of the people, and we end up with policies that a majority of the people oppose.

As cities, counties, and the state legislature gear up for the next round of redistricting, we want to ensure that more Texans have an opportunity to make their voices heard. The public field hearings are a vital process in the redistricting efforts to ensure fairness and transparency. By participating in a public hearing we can help put pressure on politicians to take common sense measures to draw fair maps.