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Senate Redistricting Passes

By Lee Nichols, 2:45PM, Tue. May. 17, 2011

This amendment to the Senate map will put Austin-Bergstrom International Airport back in Kirk Watson's district.
This amendment to the Senate map will put Austin-Bergstrom International Airport back in Kirk Watson's district.
The Senate just passed the redrawing of its own lines for redistricting. As we've mentioned previously, this map would split Travis County four ways. But at least one absurdity was corrected.
The map would have removed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport from Austin Sen. Kirk Watson's district and placed it under the representation of Laredo Democrat Judith Zaffirini.

An amendment approved this afternoon gives it back to Watson, although a substantial part of southeast Travis will still be represented by Zaffirini. (The amendment is shown in the picture to the right.)

Watson said the airport amendment was “an improvement,” but, “I'm still disappointed about what was done to Travis County in this map. It's important that Travis County and Austin be the anchor for District 14. This amendment helped. Also important is that it reunites some of the traditional East Austin community.”

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