Stephanie Herseth Sandlin: “the issue of redistricting has been before the Texas public now for several weeks. I think it deserves some attention…”

“the issue of redistricting has been before the Texas public now for several weeks. I think it deserves some attention here tonight. I hope we have several speakers to talk about the issue of redistricting and how it has played out in our State, the confusion it has caused and the public and political high-handedness that has occurred from the power brokers from the Republican Party in Washington. Mr. Speaker, from 1800 on, we have redrawn our congressional lines every 10 years. That is to comply with the requirements of reapportionment. The first House, the U.S. House of Representatives, had 65 Members which reflected the population guidelines set out in the Constitution. Each 10 years thereafter, after the constitutionally mandated census, seats were added to the House to reflect the growing numbers of our population and the numbers set out in the Constitution. By 1910, the numbers in the House had grown to more than 400. At that point, the House decided to cap the Members at 435 Members, which required a different set of criteria for redistricting from that point forward.”