Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, let's welcome Mark Henry, Galveston County judge. Tell
(00:03):
us a little bit about what's going on with the
new district maps. Judge, good morning, how are you, sir?
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Good morning, Bob, good to be here, good.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
To have you. Thank you so much. So five new
GOP leaning districts. There's no guarantee of but obviously it
does make it a little bit more opportunistic for the
Republicans to gain some more representation. Tell us what happened.
What was the original reason given by the judge who
the district judge who said nope, can't use those maps.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Well, it's a similar but different process than what Galveston
County went through. This all originated in Galveston County when
the DOJ, the Biden DOJ, sued us and we won.
So in that case we went to the district court,
where we knew we would lose. We kind of had
to lose there because of precedents. Then went to the
Fifth Circuit, who reversed a thirty seven year standing opinion
(00:50):
for the state. They went a different process. They had
a three judge panel comprised of two district judges and
an appellate judge. So that's slightly different than what we had.
That's where the state got to the two district judges
to say they're going to block the maps, and the
appellate judge issued a pretty.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Blistering descent and said, no, they should have been able
to continue because of that scheme being not being a
bad work. Because that mechanism, they can appealed directly in
the Supreme Court and not have to go through a
depellate court.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
That's what they've done.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
And you said, that's when Judge Alto did know we're
staying the decision of the three judge panel.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Judgejo Marke Henry is with the Scleveson County judge. Your
phone's breaking up a little bit on us here. It's
a little bit staticky. So we'll try to try to
work our way through this. Uh So, where does it
go from here? Now that Justice Alito gives this stay?
As according to what I'm reading, opponents of the map
have to follow a response to this by November twenty four. Wait, man,
that's that's that's that's this is old. This I beg
your pardon. This is this story is actually old. So
(01:48):
this is what this is what was done yesterday so
where does it go from here now that Judge of
Lito has granted that stay, that's.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Really up to the Supreme Court. They'll make the decisions
and their timeline is their time line. We just asked
that the entire country did a decision of the Supreme
Court so that the entire country has one set of
laws to follow, you know, And.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
What did you make, Judge about what California did and
what some of the other states are talking about will
show you, you know, you're you know, I think Massachusetts
one of them. They're not even one Republican representative for
the entire state there, and they said, we're going to
jerrymander our maps too, And I'm trying to figure out
how that makes any sense when you have zero representation there.
They're all looking at what Texas did here with this,
(02:31):
you know, with these new maps and saying we're going
to respond in kind. They already jerrymander and don't have
Republican representation in most of those blue states.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
That's absolutely correct. In California a long time ago tied
their own hands. They told themselves they could not redistrict
accept every ten years, and it had to be a panel.
It could not be the legislator. That's what Prop. Fifty
was all about, was trying to change that handcuffing that
they put post upon themselves many many years ago. You're right,
they have already done all they can do. I don't
(03:02):
think the Republicans should be too worried about blue states
trying to become more blue, as blue as they can get.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
Yeah, that Proposition fifty, though, in California is an interesting one.
They seem to be wanting to do the exact same
thing the Massachusetts and a few of the other blue
states up in New England do. And that has have
zero Republican representation. And I think I don't have the
numbers exactly right, but I think somewhere in the neighborhood
of forty percent of the people in California who voted
voted for Donald Trump in the last election. So even
(03:31):
if it's sixty to forty, Okay, sixty to forty representation
wouldn't be bad. They want to make it ninety ten
or worse.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
That's correct, and a bit of a distinction. Texas did
not say let's just get as many Republicans as we can.
They followed the Galveston County case where President Trump's DOJ said,
you've got to eliminate coalition districts. That was really what
was the heart of the Galveston County case. So that's
what Texas did. They eliminated coalition districts, which are no
longer recognized by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Judge Mark Henry Galvenson County Judge, appreciate your information on this, Judge,
Thanks very much, and we'll obviously keep our tach keep
tabs on it and check back in with you as
this moves through the court. Thank you, sir. Happy all right,
Happy Tuesday. I'm happy early Thanksgiving to you. Yeah, I'm
glad to hear that. I say that this isn't about,
you know, just you know, getting more seats and more
(04:22):
Republicans representing, But it's about it's about what the state
truly is made of. And I can tell you there
are a lot of states that used to be purple
that are now read that don't have the representation that
they should. And this kind of all happened in the
last ten years, especially since Trump came in and upset
the apple cart for everybody. But there are states that
were purplish and states that you know, we're moderately read
(04:44):
who are now solidly read that don't have the representation
that show that in Congress. And that's when they should
justifiably redraw the lines to provide opportunities, no guarantees, but
provide opportunities to have more of that representation to reflec
like the will of the people. And I get that
California is a big blue state, but it is not
(05:04):
ninety ten ninety percent of the representatives in Congress should
not be for one party when your state is sixty
forty Democrat over Republican. I think that's a fair way
to look at it.
All right, let's welcome Mark Henry, Galveston County judge. Tell
(00:03):
us a little bit about what's going on with the
new district maps. Judge, good morning, how are you, sir?
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Good morning, Bob, good to be here, good.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
To have you. Thank you so much. So five new
GOP leaning districts. There's no guarantee of but obviously it
does make it a little bit more opportunistic for the
Republicans to gain some more representation. Tell us what happened.
What was the original reason given by the judge who
the district judge who said nope, can't use those maps.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Well, it's a similar but different process than what Galveston
County went through. This all originated in Galveston County when
the DOJ, the Biden DOJ, sued us and we won.
So in that case we went to the district court,
where we knew we would lose. We kind of had
to lose there because of precedents. Then went to the
Fifth Circuit, who reversed a thirty seven year standing opinion
(00:50):
for the state. They went a different process. They had
a three judge panel comprised of two district judges and
an appellate judge. So that's slightly different than what we had.
That's where the state got to the two district judges
to say they're going to block the maps, and the
appellate judge issued a pretty.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Blistering descent and said, no, they should have been able
to continue because of that scheme being not being a
bad work. Because that mechanism, they can appealed directly in
the Supreme Court and not have to go through a
depellate court.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
That's what they've done.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
And you said, that's when Judge Alto did know we're
staying the decision of the three judge panel.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Judgejo Marke Henry is with the Scleveson County judge. Your
phone's breaking up a little bit on us here. It's
a little bit staticky. So we'll try to try to
work our way through this. Uh So, where does it
go from here? Now that Justice Alito gives this stay?
As according to what I'm reading, opponents of the map
have to follow a response to this by November twenty four. Wait, man,
that's that's that's that's this is old. This I beg
your pardon. This is this story is actually old. So
(01:48):
this is what this is what was done yesterday so
where does it go from here now that Judge of
Lito has granted that stay, that's.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Really up to the Supreme Court. They'll make the decisions
and their timeline is their time line. We just asked
that the entire country did a decision of the Supreme
Court so that the entire country has one set of
laws to follow, you know, And.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
What did you make, Judge about what California did and
what some of the other states are talking about will
show you, you know, you're you know, I think Massachusetts
one of them. They're not even one Republican representative for
the entire state there, and they said, we're going to
jerrymander our maps too, And I'm trying to figure out
how that makes any sense when you have zero representation there.
They're all looking at what Texas did here with this,
(02:31):
you know, with these new maps and saying we're going
to respond in kind. They already jerrymander and don't have
Republican representation in most of those blue states.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
That's absolutely correct. In California a long time ago tied
their own hands. They told themselves they could not redistrict
accept every ten years, and it had to be a panel.
It could not be the legislator. That's what Prop. Fifty
was all about, was trying to change that handcuffing that
they put post upon themselves many many years ago. You're right,
they have already done all they can do. I don't
(03:02):
think the Republicans should be too worried about blue states
trying to become more blue, as blue as they can get.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
Yeah, that Proposition fifty, though, in California is an interesting one.
They seem to be wanting to do the exact same
thing the Massachusetts and a few of the other blue
states up in New England do. And that has have
zero Republican representation. And I think I don't have the
numbers exactly right, but I think somewhere in the neighborhood
of forty percent of the people in California who voted
voted for Donald Trump in the last election. So even
(03:31):
if it's sixty to forty, Okay, sixty to forty representation
wouldn't be bad. They want to make it ninety ten
or worse.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
That's correct, and a bit of a distinction. Texas did
not say let's just get as many Republicans as we can.
They followed the Galveston County case where President Trump's DOJ said,
you've got to eliminate coalition districts. That was really what
was the heart of the Galveston County case. So that's
what Texas did. They eliminated coalition districts, which are no
longer recognized by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Judge Mark Henry Galvenson County Judge, appreciate your information on this, Judge,
Thanks very much, and we'll obviously keep our tach keep
tabs on it and check back in with you as
this moves through the court. Thank you, sir. Happy all right,
Happy Tuesday. I'm happy early Thanksgiving to you. Yeah, I'm
glad to hear that. I say that this isn't about,
you know, just you know, getting more seats and more
(04:22):
Republicans representing, But it's about it's about what the state
truly is made of. And I can tell you there
are a lot of states that used to be purple
that are now read that don't have the representation that
they should. And this kind of all happened in the
last ten years, especially since Trump came in and upset
the apple cart for everybody. But there are states that
were purplish and states that you know, we're moderately read
(04:44):
who are now solidly read that don't have the representation
that show that in Congress. And that's when they should
justifiably redraw the lines to provide opportunities, no guarantees, but
provide opportunities to have more of that representation to reflec
like the will of the people. And I get that
California is a big blue state, but it is not
(05:04):
ninety ten ninety percent of the representatives in Congress should
not be for one party when your state is sixty
forty Democrat over Republican. I think that's a fair way
to look at it.
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