Taniel

To make way for their new gerrymander eliminating Memphis’ majority-black district, Tennessee Republicans are set to repeal a law that bans middecade redistricting. tennessean.com/story/news/pol…

For more than 50 years, Tennessee law has blocked state lawmakers from redrawing congressional districts except every 10 years after the U.S. census. Republican leaders are planning to change that this week. tennessean.com/story/news/pol…

Especially given the extraordinarily tragic and frankly incomprehensible events of December 2024. In that case, the governor refused the judge’s resignation but critics of the loophole say the law has to change so this isn’t up to the governor. boltsmag.org/georgia-judici…

The justice who didn’t answer was part of the majority opinion that expanded the loophole in 2020, raising fears that it may be used in this way into the future. One of the most bizarre stories we’ve had to cover at Bolts since 2022. boltsmag.org/dystopian-loop…

A staggering loophole in Georgia law seems to say that, if a justice loses reelection, they could resign & cancel election post facto. One of 2 justices on the May ballot assured to Bolts they won’t do that. The other didn’t answer. boltsmag.org/georgia-suprem…

The Illuminator is reporting that Louisiana Republicans seem to be leaning toward eliminating one of the two majority-Black districts and keep the one anchored in Baton Rouge rather than NoLa.

New from me: Checking in on the state of redistricting after Callais and Florida's new congressional map. votebeat.org/national/2026/…

After Callais, some say Dems in blue states face a tragic choice between reducing minority representation and increasing Dem seats. That's not true. You can generally draw maps with more Dem seats and the same (or more) opportunity districts. electionlawblog.org/?p=155864

How Trump is involved in trying to get Fetterman to switch parties: politico.com/news/magazine/…

Last night saw more setbacks for the Texas right in school boards. They already lost a lot of ground twelve months ago; yesterday, at least six conservative board members who were at forefront of book bans or policies restricting LGBT rights were ousted. boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-b…

These certificates are important for people who were in prison to more easily rebuild their lives, access jobs and housing.

In nation’s capital for wrongful convictions, you’d think officials would want to help once someone is exonerated & released. But an investigation shows Chicago prosecutors fight almost every time an exonerated person wants a certificate of innocence. boltsmag.org/chicago-cook-c…

Both in my guide of elections to watch: boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-b…

More RESULTS from last night: Voters in Dallas approved the largest bond in Texas history, to unlock more than $6 billion in spending for schools. And voters in Fort Worth approved a bond package of roughly $800 million for infrastructure and municipal spending.

Here's a third school district in Texas that just ousted a conservative incumbent. In Mansfield, another district that was the epicenter of book bans, voters had ousted 3 conservatives in 2025 in a big sweep. Yesterday, incumbent Courtney Lackey Wilson was voted out as well.

Another Texas school result: The school district of Grapevine Colleyville, near FW, drew national attn after conservatives running on an explicitly Christian message took over the board (archive: nbcnews.com/news/us-news/g…). Voters just ousted 3 conservative incumbents tonight.

RESULT. The Lake Travis school district in the Austin area become a focal point for book bans (see this story from 2024: kut.org/education/2024…) Two conservatives school board members who were integral to that push just lost their reelection bids tonight, and are ousted.

@Susana_Tupper x.com/taniel/status/…

@Susana_Tupper Haven’t seen the final result in that one yet! I’ll post though mah take me a moment as I’m out :)

If results hold, Tarrant GOP vice chair Cody Cheshire's endorsed candidates will finish 0-6 today in Arlington elex. They also lost all 3 Patriot Mobile seats in GCISD. They went 0-12 last year in Fort Worth, Arlington & Mansfield, so @TarrantGOP is 0-18 in those cities overall.

Republicans easily held a state senate seat in Texas, and significantly overperformed compared to 2024. GOP’s 2nd largest overperformance of year, after a Feb special in AL, per @downballotnews’s tracker #gid=1173601967" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…