For Immediate Release February 15, 2012 Interim Maps do not Reflect Minority Growth and Divide Communities

San Antonio - Today, Ciro Rodriguez along with Attorneys for National LULAC, Luis Vera and George Korbel expressed their disappointment in the interim maps released by the three judge panel in the Western District of Texas, pointing out that these maps did little to reflect the changing demographics of the state of Texas. Over the last several months, a great deal of evidence and testimony from a number of experts has demonstrated that the Texas Legislature unfairly allowed racial bias and discriminatory practices to infect their maps. Those maps, and to a great extent these interim maps, disenfranchise minority voters across the state and deny them the opportunity to elect the candidates of their choice said Ciro Rodriguez. Our democracy must be representative of its people and reflect the diversity in our country. These maps do not reflect that nor do they begin to give adequate representation to Latinos or African Americans Mr. Rodriguez further stated. Ciro Rodriguez had previously testified before the San Antonio court that central Texas communities of interest were being divided, and these maps continue to reflect those divisions. The interim maps divide communities across the southside of Bexar County into four (4) congressional districts, and Travis County is divided into five (5) congressional districts. Harlandale has been particularly fractured, being divided into three separate congressional districts. Luis Vera, attorney for National LULAC said With this interim map there is zero (0) net gains for Latinos in the Congress. For the congressional and state houses this map is a total disaster. Late last evening, we filed certain documents asking the DC Court to immediately release their findings. We are confident that those findings will show that Texas has discriminated across the entire state of Texas, especially here in Harlandale. In the entire history of San Antonio, this has never happened. This is what is called fracturingwhen a solid community who votes in a solid block for their interests has been fractured so that there is no more political power. I remain confident that at the end of this process we will have maps that adequately address the numerous

Voting Rights Act violations that have been demonstrated in both courts. Unfortunately, these maps fail to remedy those issues Ciro Rodriguez stated in conclusion. ###

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