Texas House votes to put Fort Bliss back in Fierro’s district
UPDATE, Oct. 12: The Texas House unanimously approved an amendment Tuesday evening to the state's redistricting map to include most of Fort Bliss in El Paso Rep. Art Fierro's House District 79.
The original redistricting map proposed by the Texas GOP had placed Fort Bliss in a district whose representative lives hundreds of miles away in Eagle Pass.
The new map was approved by a House vote of 114-0, but it still has to be approved by the Texas Senate.
ORIGINAL REPORT, Oct. 5: AUSTIN, Texas -- A Texas House re-districting committee has approved a change to the map that proposed plucking Fort Bliss and the El Paso International Airport out of a state House district based in El Paso, and making them part of a district that expands hundreds of miles east.
During a marathon redistricting debate Tuesday, State Rep. Ryan Guillen announced Reps. Art Fierro of El Paso and Eddie Morales of Eagle Pass had negotiated and agreed to redraw the boundaries of their districts to move the airport and the military post back into Fierro's District 79. The initial proposal had the two landmarks in District 74 represented by Morales.
"You heard from several people today about El Paso, (from) an El Paso city councilwoman, and the CEO of the Hispanic Chamber about the importance of keeping Ft. Bliss in a district that's wholly contained in El Paso County. Both reps, Morales and Fierro, agree," said Guillen.
No one opposed the amendment, so the new boundaries are now included in the map that will be taken up by the full Texas House of Representatives later Tuesday.
Here's a link to the changed map. It underscores the size of District 74 and how the airport and Fort Bliss would've been part of it. You can also zoom in and see the new District 79 in El Paso includes the airport.
