Texas House Bill HJR4

Texas 2021 - 87th 3rd C.S.

Caption

Proposing a constitutional amendment to require that the apportionment of members of the United States House of Representatives elected from this state be based on the most recent United States decennial census and preserve communities of interest to the extent practicable.

Impact

The proposed amendment also emphasizes the importance of maintaining 'communities of interest' during the apportionment process. This means that, where feasible, legislative maps would be drawn to keep together populations sharing social, economic, racial, ethnic, and cultural ties. This focus could lead to more representation for communities that might otherwise be fragmented across different legislative districts, potentially reshaping the political landscape in Texas to better represent its diverse population.

Summary

HJR4 is a joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment aimed at modifying how members of the United States House of Representatives from Texas are apportioned. Specifically, the amendment mandates that apportionment be based exclusively on the most recent United States decennial census. This proposed change seeks to create a more structured approach to representation based on up-to-date demographic data, thereby ensuring that the allocation of congressional seats reflects current population distributions across the state.

Contention

While this amendment appears straightforward, it may face challenges regarding its implementation and the interpretation of what constitutes a community of interest. Critics could argue that mapping based on communities of interest may complicate the traditional census-based apportionment process. There are concerns regarding political manipulation of district boundaries to achieve desired electoral outcomes, also known as gerrymandering, which this amendment seeks to mitigate but may inadvertently exacerbate through subjective definitions of community interests.