Testimony for Proposed Congressional Map (2021 redistricting cycle)

The Texas Capitol Rotunda

My public testimony on Senate Bill 6 for the House Redistricting Committee on October 13, 2021

Thank you Chairman.

We go through this redistricting process every ten years to figure out how to best represent Texans, their values, and their interests by helping us get our candidates of choice into the United States House of Representatives, the Texas Senate, Texas House of Representatives, and the SBOE.

SB6, for the most part, does not represent Texans’ values and interests. It is not difficult to realize that this map was drawn deliberately to advantage one political party. I am going to give a few examples to prove this is the case using Travis county.

In this proposed map, District 21 Stretches from southern Travis county, south to San Antonio, and west to Kerr, Gillespie, and Real counties. In the 2020 election, 75% of Kerr county voted for Donald Trump. In Travis county, part of which District 21 also covers, President Biden won 72% of the vote. How does putting these two counties and many others together represent the residents of Kerr county, and residents of the part of Travis county that is touched by district 21. If SB6 passes, district 21 would be a safe Republican district. That does not represent the Travis county constituents of district 21.

My other example is district 10. District 10 stretches from eastern Travis, and cuts through a bit of southern Williamson county and northern Travis county. It then stretches northeast, all the way to Walker County, which in 2020 went to Donald Trump with 65 percent of the vote. As I already stated, Travis county went to Joe Biden with 72 percent of the vote. How does that represent the residents of district 10, Walker County, Travis county, and all of the other counties within district ten that I don’t have time to mention, that don’t have common interests with the slice of Austin that is also in district ten. If SB6 passes, then District ten would be a safe republican district. That also does not represent the Travis county constituents of district 10. Even I can realize that, and I am twelve years old.

There are many more examples of how this map dilutes the votes of people of color and people with opposing political views to your own that I don’t have time to get into right now.

Finally, I would like to mention that it was very hard for me to get to this hearing. Getting here involved multiple trips to and from the capitol and a lot of stress. I am very lucky that my teachers and parents were supportive of me and gave me the opportunity to come here today.

I truly hope that you listen to every Texan that testifies today. Hopefully you will find it in your heart to schedule a few more hearings, with a little more notice so that all Texans can have their voices heard. You have the opportunity to stand up for Texas and for this country. 

Thank you.