Latest news with #DemocraticCommissioners
CBS News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Fort Worth City Council approves resolution opposing Tarrant County redistricting process
Tarrant County officials are moving forward with a controversial plan to redraw commissioners' precinct boundaries, despite growing opposition from residents and elected leaders. More than 100 people signed up to speak at Tuesday's Commissioners Court meeting, with the vast majority opposing the redistricting proposal. CBS News Texas "This is not what public service should look like," one speaker said during public comment. "If the court believes redistricting is necessary and fair, then explain it. Engage us. Show your work." Redistricting sparks political tension County Judge Tim O'Hare initiated the redistricting process in early April. Commissioners voted to hire a conservative law firm to develop new maps. While redistricting typically follows the decennial U.S. Census, O'Hare and other Republicans argue that the county's rapid population growth requires earlier changes to preserve conservative leadership. Supporters of the plan were in the minority at Tuesday's meeting. "I'm asking you to vote in favor of redistricting. I prefer Map 1, but I'm supportive of at least one of the other maps. Again, please do not Dallas my Tarrant County," one resident said. Critics decry racial gerrymandering Earlier this month, five proposed maps were introduced to the court, each suggesting major alterations to Precincts 1 and 2, districts currently represented by Democratic commissioners. Critics argue the redistricting amounts to racial gerrymandering aimed at diluting minority voting power. "We cannot build stronger communities by cracking them apart or packing their voices into silence," Commissioner Roderick Miles Jr. said. "What you have seen today is not a continuation of the responsible process that was done in 2021. It is a sharp break from it. From the outset, this new redistricting effort has been defined, not by community participation, but by speed, secrecy, and the prioritization of political outcomes over public trust." The law firm hired to draw the maps has not disclosed the criteria or data used to create the proposals, further fueling opposition. "You're elected to be accountable to all people in this county," one speaker told the court. "Stand with constituents. Stand for fairness, transparency, and real democracy. Shut down this redistricting proposal." Fort Worth, Arlington push back Opposition has extended beyond the Commissioners Court. The Fort Worth City Council passed a resolution Tuesday formally opposing the redistricting process. Last week, Arlington Mayor Jim Ross commissioned a report to investigate the legality of the proposal. Republican commissioners remained largely silent during Tuesday's meeting. Commissioner Matt Krause, however, asked a few questions to a staff member brought in by Commissioner Alisa Simmons. "Would it be right for me to say that the courts, the Supreme Court especially, has said partisan gerrymandering is fine? It's completely up to that body. Racial gerrymandering, very bad — but partisan gerrymandering, we're going to refer to that district," Krause said. June 3 vote looms large As the June 3 vote approaches, community members and officials are urging the court to reconsider. "The public overwhelmingly opposes this redistricting effort," one speaker said. "We've seen it in packed meetings, petition signatures, and voices rising across this county." Tarrant County has held three community meetings on the redistricting plans this month, with a fourth scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Gary Fickes Northeast Courthouse in Hurst.
Washington Post
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Trump fires Democrats on Consumer Product Safety Commission
President Donald Trump moved late Thursday to fire the three Democratic commissioners on the five-person Consumer Product Safety Commission, his administration's latest test to the limits of presidential power over independent agencies. The move comes as the Supreme Court is expected to weigh in on whether Trump has the authority to remove officials without cause at similar independent agencies, such as the National Labor Relations Board and the Merit Systems Protection Board.
