OUR TURN: Redistricting map leaves Burnet County out in cold
A redistricting map approved this week by the state House will give Burnet residents less of a voice in Austin and should have been amended to better reflect current demographics.
The plan approved at 3 a.m. Thursday takes Burnet County out of House District 54, currently represented by Jimmie Don Aycock, R-Killeen, and puts it in District 20, the seat held by Rep. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown.
No doubt the lawsuits will follow.
For the moment, Burnet and Lampasas counties, as well as part of Bell County, make up District 54. They are primarily rural and have small population centers. The residents share similar issues common to partly agrarian or small-town environments.
The new district includes Burnet, Georgetown, Liberty Hill, much of northern Williamson County and all of distant Milam County. The new district could become a reality by next year unless the map is challenged in court.
Unlike Burnet County, Williamson County is poised for rapid growth and is quickly becoming urbanized, with a host of issues different from what Burnet County residents face.
Williamson County’s rising population also gives it disproportionate voting strength, diluting whatever impact Burnet County residents might have at the polls.
Not only would Aycock be out of the picture, but any Burnet County politicians setting their sights on a run for the Legislature would be hard-pressed to pick up the number of votes they’d need in Williamson and even Milam counties to get elected to the House.
Essentially, Williamson County can maximize its voting strength, leaving rural Burnet County out in the deep freeze.
Burnet County’s needs — which include water issues with the Lower Colorado River Authority, highway transportation involving U.S. 281 and creating more affordable housing — could easily get lost in the demands made by the increasingly urbanized population of the new district.
There is a better alternative if Austin politicians are determined to change the status quo, but it might take court action to become a reality.
If there has to be a change, Burnet County instead should become a part of the district held by Rep. Harvey Hildebran, R-Kerrville. Hildebran has represented Burnet County before.
District 53 today includes Crockett, Sutton, Schliecher, Real, Kerr, Kimble, Menard, Mason, Llano, San Saba, McCulloch, Concho, Coleman, Runnels and Callahan counties.
The new District 20 map was influenced to some extent by a plan submitted by the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund. MALDEF wants to ensure that minority voting is not diluted.
Redistricting takes place after the federal census is released, or every 10 years. The process determines the voting map for state House, congressional and the State Board of Education races
The latest census indicated Texas grew faster than any other state in the Union. Two-thirds of the population explosion originated with minorities, primarily Latinos. One aim of the redistricting process is to better represent population growth, but the party in power — currently the GOP — also retains an advantage at the polls.
On the flip side, the new map pits more Republicans against each other in the next election.
No matter, Burnet County would be better served by not being lumped in with Williamson County. Burnet County’s population belongs in a political grouping with other rural counties in District 53. This is the only fair way to maintain a voice in Austin for the residents of the Highland Lakes.
Ultimately, the courts may end up deciding the issue.