After releasing an updated redistricting map at around 5pm on Friday, the Commissioner’s Court held a public hearing today (Tuesday) to allow for public comment before taking up the map at their meeting later in the morning.
A line of what seemed like current and former Harris County employees spoke in support of the Revised A-1 map, which provides protection for the African American community, but includes retrogression in the Hispanic opportunity precinct.
After East End neighborhood activist Elisa Gonzalez made the case for the alternative map (known as Guerra/Jara), Commissioner Jerry Eversole made Gonzalez point out where the four precincts were located because he “couldn’t see” the map.
Where was he going with this? Well, it turned out to be self-serving as he was making the point that he had been drawn out of Precinct 4 and placed in Precinct 2 (the Commissioner has chosen to reside far from his suburban constituents). So, he questioned Gonzalez about it being okay for him to be drawn out, to which Gonzalez stated that “whatever it takes” should be done to ensure representation. So, Eversole being Eversole asked:
“So I’m to give up my job to give you fair representation?”
Anyway, the case was made for the Guerra/Jara map, but from a text I just received from inside the Commissioner’s Court meeting, the revised A-1 map has been passed, thus the Commissioner’s Court has approved a map that is blatantly retrogressive and very political in that it protects incumbency rather than ensure representation (and Eversole’s comments are all the evidence we need of that).
As they say, “Onward and upward,” to the courts.
I hope to have some Eversole video later this afternoon.
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