ADDED: From the Austin American-Statesman: "We are hopeful that the Attorney General and his team will be able to demonstrate to the Court the necessity of throwing out the panel's maps," [said Steve Munisteri, the chairman of the Republican Party of Texas]. [read post]

” On the other side, Texas Republican Party Chairman Steve Munisteri, citing the emergence of young Republican Hispanic officeholders in the state, dismissed accusations that the map approved by the Legislature is discriminatory: “The [panel] seems to fail to take into account the fact that more Hispanics have been elected statewide on the Republican ticket than on the Democratic ticket…In the 2010 election, the RPT helped elect five new Republicans of Hispanic… [read post]