Audio By Carbonatix
No doubt you recall Dallas County Commissioner Maurine Dickey’s blow-up over that redistricting map sprung on her during commissioners court a couple of weeks back. Long story short: She’d agreed to one map, only to have John Wiley Price give her, at the last second, an entirely different one that gave her current district to Mike Cantrell and vice-versa. And, sure, Dickey’s not running for re-election next go-round, opting to head back into the barbecue biz. But she’s still plenty fired up over the switcheroo, going so far as to demand Texas Attorney
General Greg Abbott and the U.S. Department of Justice review the new map to see if it violates the law.
“The new map was approved by the Dallas County Commissioners without the benefit of public
review or comment as required,” Dickey says in a statement just dispatched by her office. “I ask that the Attorney General’s office and the Department of
Justice rule the new district map invalid and restore the original redrawn district map that was
presented to the public for comment. The court failed to give the public
proper notice which has resulted in what is, at a minimum, a disenfranchisement of thousands of
voters.”
On the other side is her missive to Abbott, which she sent Friday. In it Dickey writes:
“In
addition to switching Cantrell to what is planned to be the stronger Republican district, it will also
cause the new, weaker Republican District 1 to be up for election as an open seat in 2012 when
President Obama is campaigning. No doubt, the Democrat Commissioners expect this fact to help
secure a victory for the Democrat nominee.”
The original and revised maps also follow.
Dallas County Commissioners Original Map
2011 Dallas County Commissioners Amended Map
