The Republican Party of Texas took the unusual step today of sending a post-argument letter to the Supreme Court to tell the court in no uncertain terms that the date of the party’s state convention could not be moved. In the letter, sent on behalf of RPT chair Steve Munisteri, the party told the high court “for numerous legal, logistical, and practical reasons, moving the Texas primary to any date after mid-April 2012 would wreak havoc with the state’s electoral process and present insurmountable difficulties.”
In particular, the letter said that moving the party’s state convention would be virtually impossible and would impose a significant financial burden since the party had already incurred $605,461 in connection with its June 7-9 convention. The letter noted that the RPT’s convention attracts 18,000 delegates and alternates and that “[t]here are only four cities in Texas with convention facilities equipped to handle a convention of this size, and the booking for these facilities is handled years in advance.”
At Monday’s oral argument in the interim map appeal, several justices had explored the possibility of having Texas move its primary to June 26 or perhaps even a later date to accommodate the preclearance process.
Full Article: TEXAS REDISTRICTING.