Issue Position: Redistricting, Gerrymandering, the 2020 Census

Issue Position

While the 86th Legislative Session was focused on School Finance Reform, the 87th Session will focus on Redistricting after the 2020 Census. Redistricting will have a significant impact on the next decade of representation at both the state and national level. There was no consensus on establishing an Independent Redistricting Committee to draw Congressional and Legislative boundaries during the 86th Session, and bills filed to do so never made it out of Committee. I will continue to advocate for a fair and nonpartisan redistricting process throughout the interim and into the next session.

COVID-19 continues to impact the redistricting process. First, all scheduled hearings from mid-March on have been put on hold, so the Redistricting Committee has not been hearing from people throughout the state. So far, no new dates for hearings have been scheduled. Second, statewide Stay Home and social distancing orders have affected the 2020 Census, as outreach efforts to solicit response to the census questionnaire have been put on hold. It is likely that there will be an undercount of residents due to COVID-19. Third, we don't know yet if there will be delay in delivering census data to the states, which would impact work on redistricting in 2021. It's important that the Legislature not rush the process of drawing Congressional and Legislative district boundaries once the data is provided.

As of mid-June, Travis County has a 60% response rate to the 2020 Census. The City of Lago Vista has a very low response rate of 25%, while Lakeway has a response rate of 70%. Filling out the 2020 Census is easy and quick

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