State of Texas Files Motion to Speed Up Proceedings in Redistricting Case

After the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling earlier today which threw out redistricting maps created by a federal judicial panel in San Antonio, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has filed a motion to speed up the scheduling of further court proceedings.

Attorney General Abbott stated in the motion that for Texas to maintain the court-order primary election date of April 3, 2012, expedited scheduling of proceedings must be taken.

The primary election date of April 3, 2012 was agreed to by the state's major political parties after a previous court ruling.

You can read the full text of the motion below:

DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION OF THE COURT’S ORDER OF JANUARY 20, 2012

Defendants appreciate the Court’s speedy response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s vacatur of the interim redistricting plans for the Texas House of Representatives, Texas Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives. Defendants are concerned, however, that the schedule ordered by this Court will not allow for entry of new interim redistricting plans in time for primary elections to be conducted on April 3, 2012, as previously ordered by this Court.

As this Court recognized after receiving input from both the state’s major political parties and state and local election officials, redistricting plans must be in place by February 1, 2012—at the very latest—in order for primary elections to be conducted on April 3, 2012. Under today’s Order, however, a status conference will not be held until February 1, 2012, and it does not appear that the Court anticipates entering new interim redistricting plans by that date.

In order to preserve the unified April 3, 2012 primary election date agreed to by the State’s major political parties and ordered by this Court, Defendants respectfully request that this Court vacate its Order of January 20, 2012 and enter an expedited Scheduling Order that will allow for entry of new interim redistricting plans by January 30, 2012. The State is prepared to assist the Court in any way possible to ensure its prior order to hold unified primary elections on April 3, 2012 can be fulfilled.