Houstonians weigh in on the Texas redistricting drama: 'It's blatant now'

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- As the redistricting battle ramps up in Texas, Houston residents say they're caught in the middle of what they call a political game.

"The Republicans, the Democrats, they're at this political odd deal, and the people are in the middle," Pastor Steve Hall, who has led Bethany Baptist Church in northeast Houston for 40 years, said.

Those at church on Wednesday are just some of the 700,000 people in Houston's District 18 who have had no representation in Congress since former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner died in March.

If state lines are redrawn, their district would be split up.

"That means if you attempt to have a word, have a vote, your voice is null and void," parishioner Paul Cole said. "In other words, you just may as well be invisible."

Wednesday marks the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, an act designed to protect minority representation.

At this 100-year-old church, the timing is jarring.

"It's blatant now, so out in the open," Charles Hunter said. "It's like, 'I'm going to do what I'm going to do and you can't do anything about it.'"

"You're Republican or Democrat. It doesn't matter. You're a Texan, and what you believe in is what you believe in, and what's right is right, and this is not right," Pamela Robinson said.

"There's something about the political environment that seems to poison the water. And so everybody starts bickering and fighting to try to get their numbers to outnumber," Pastor Hall said. "They forget that they are there to represent the people that voted them into power."

"This is at the taxpayer's dime, so that's crazy. With all that's going on in Texas. I don't know where we rank as far as healthcare, as far as schools that are concerned. Those things that need attention, we just had 138 people to die in a flood in the Hill Country," Gerald Fields said. "Those areas that need to be addressing, and we are more concerned about getting five more seats."

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