Press Release
VIRTUAL PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCING TEXAS REDISTRICTING LAWSUIT
MEDIA ALERT: VIRTUAL PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCING TEXAS REDISTRICTING LAWSUIT
Fair Maps Texas Action Committee v. Abbott
Attorneys from Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ), ACLU of Texas, and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), will host a virtual media event with plaintiffs on Wednesday, November 17, at 4 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. EST to discuss their lawsuit challenging the Texas Legislature’s process for drawing new state legislative and Congressional voting maps.
WHAT: Fair Maps Texas Action Committee v. Abbott Virtual Media Event
WHEN: Wednesday, November 17, at 4:00 p.m. CT / 5:00 p.m. EST
WHERE: Zoom webinar — members of the media can go to scsj.org/FMACbriefing to RSVP.
WHY: Attorneys and plaintiffs will discuss the lawsuit and answer media questions.
WHO:
- Noor Taj, Voting Rights Counsel, Southern Coalition for Social Justice
- Jerry Vattamala, Director of the Democracy Program, Asian American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
- Susana Lorenzo-Giguere, Senior Staff Attorney, Asian American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
- David Donatti, Staff Attorney, ACLU of Texas
- Other Organizational and individual plaintiffs as available
The case, Fair Maps Texas Action Committee v. Abbott, filed on Tuesday, November 16, is one of several lawsuits to allege the Texas state legislative and Congressional maps unconstitutionally dilute the voting power of voters of color. Fair Maps Texas Action Committee highlights the specific harm to the three fast-growing groups in the state — Black, Latino, and Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) residents — and the new maps’ erosion of coalition districts, where diverse groups of voters work together to form a majority and elect candidates of their choice.
Plaintiffs request that the court order and adopt an interim electoral plan for the 2022 elections in order to provide enough time to redraw maps that protect the rights of all Texans.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Sailor Jones, sailor@scsj.org, 919-260-5906; SCSJ
Gino Nuzzolillo, gino@scsj.org, 402-415-4763; SCSJ
Stuart Sia, ssia@aaldef.org, 212-966-5932 x203; AALDEF
Selene Escalera, media@aclutx.org; ACLU of Texas
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The Southern Coalition for Social Justice, founded in 2007, partners with communities of color and economically disadvantaged communities in the South to defend and advance their political, social, and economic rights through the combination of legal advocacy, research, organizing, and communications. Learn more at southerncoalition.org and follow our work on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas is the leading civil rights organization in the Lone Star State. Since our formation in 1938, we have worked in the courts, the legislature, and through public education to protect civil rights and individual liberty.
The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), a New York-based national organization founded in 1974, protects and promotes the civil rights of Asian Americans. By combining litigation, advocacy, education, and organizing, AALDEF works with Asian American communities across the country to secure human rights for all. AALDEF focuses on critical issues affecting Asian Americans, including immigrant rights, voting rights and democracy, economic justice for workers, educational equity, housing and environmental justice, and the elimination of anti-Asian violence.
The Fair Maps Action Committee is a sub-committee of Fair Maps Texas dedicated to taking action to protect voters in Texas who may be subject to unlawful redistricting.