Fair Maps Texas Action Committee v. Abbott (consolidated as LULAC v. Abbott)
Case Summary
Lawsuit filed on behalf of Fair Maps Texas Action Committee (of which the LWV of Texas is a member), OCA-Greater Houston, the North Texas Chapter of the Asian Pacific Islander Americans Public Affairs Association, Emgage Texas and individual voters challenging the state’s new legislative and congressional districts as a violation of the Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The complaint argues that the state’s new districts intentionally dilute the voting power of Texans of color, specifically Black, Latinx and Asian American and Pacific Islander voters, in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) and the 14th and 15th Amendments. The lawsuit asks the court to block the use of the current maps and order the creation of new maps that do not dilute minority voting strength. The case was consolidated with six others challenging Texas’ redistricting results; the lead case is League of United Latin American Citizens v. Abbott.
Plaintiffs are represented by the Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ), the ACLU of Texas, and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF).
LWV Timeline
LWV Texas and partners file complaint
The Fair Maps Texas Action Committee, of which the LWV of Texas is a member, OCA-Greater Houston, the North Texas Chapter of the Asian Pacific Islander Americans Public Affairs Association, Engage Texas, and individual voters file a lawsuit asserting the state’s new legislative and Congressional districts violate the Constitution and the Voting Rights Act.
District Court orders case to be consolidated
The District Court consolidates the case with five other cases into a single case, LULAC v. Abbott.
Defendants file motion to dismiss Fair Maps Action Committee’s complaint
Defendants assert that the plaintiffs do not have standing to contest the new maps, that Texas has no duty to draw districts to ensure coalitions of people of color could have the opportunity to elect representatives, and that the districts were drawn by the Legislature based on partisan, not racial, motives.
District Court grants Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss
The District Courts grants the Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss the Fair Maps Action Committee's complaint and directs them to file an amended complaint.
Fair Maps Action Committee file first amended complaint
The Fair Maps Plaintiffs file their first amended complaint against the defendants in conformity with the court’s previous orders, alleging violations of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and the 14th and 15th Amendments to the US Constitution, among others.