With the first special-called session of the 89th Texas Legislature underway, items will be moving quickly, as lawmakers have only 30 days to get bills through the legislature and onto the governor’s desk.
One of those items is congressional redistricting, with the Texas House and Senate poised to hear from the public about District 19 this week as they conclude their hearings.
For context, Lubbock and Abilene are the major cities within TX-19, which is home to over 770,000 Texans. Republican U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington, chairman of the House Budget Committee, currently represents the district and was first elected in 2017.
As Arrington puts it, he serves the “food, fuel and fiber capital of the world.”
Texas House to host District 19 congressional redistricting public hearing on Monday
When: July 28 at 5 p.m.
Where: University of Texas at Arlington.
Topics: This hearing will focus on those counties of the State lying wholly or partly within Congressional Districts 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 18, 22, 29, 36, and 38 for the 119th Congress (2025-2026). But the Committee will hear testimony about any region of the State.
How to Watch: The meeting can be live-streamed at house.texas.gov/video-audio/.
How to Participate: According to the house notices, individuals can only testify in person at this meeting, with the public allowed to speak for a maximum of two minutes per person. The length of each public hearing is limited to five hours.
“If you have more to say than your time allows, or if you are not reached due to time constraints, you may submit your testimony in writing at the hearing to the clerk, which will be shared with all members of the Committee,” reads the public notices.
If individuals do bring their written testimony, the committee asks that they bring at least one extra copy of it to be entered into the record if necessary. If individuals are bringing handouts for the committee, they are asked to bring at least 22 copies.
Electronic Public Comment: Texas residents who wish to electronically submit comments related to congressional redistricting without testifying in person can do so until the hearing is adjourned by visiting: comments.house.texas.gov/home?c=c055.
Texas Senate to host West Texas, Panhandle redistricting public hearing on Tuesday
When: July 29 at 9 a.m.
Where: Virtually only.
Topics: Focus on West Texas, including the Panhandle and El Paso regions, but the committee will hear testimony about any region of the State.
How to Watch: The meeting will be live-streamed at senate.texas.gov/events.php.
How to Participate: The public must use the following links to register to testify before the committee: zoom.us/meeting/register/Bte9onlLTW2WytM25Lxc-A.
After completing the registration form, individuals will receive a registration confirmation email that includes a link to join the video conference and other instructions. The committee notes that only registered witnesses will be allowed to testify before the committee at the hearing.
When individuals testify, the committee stipulates that their cameras must be turned on during the testimony.
Electronic Public Comment: To submit written comments and attachments via the public-input portal, please visit thecommittee’s website at senate.texas.gov/redistrictingcomment.
Mateo Rosiles is the Government & Public Policy reporter for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Got a news tip for him? Email him: mrosiles@lubbockonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas House, Senate to host redistricting public hearing on Rep. Arrington’s District 19
Reporting by Mateo Rosiles, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
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