Abbott to speak at GOP meeting

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott will address the Denton County Republican Party during its monthly meeting Jan. 19.

While a formal topic has not been announced, party chairwoman Dianne Edmondson expects Abbott to talk about the cases his office is currently defending, including redistricting, new voter identification requirements and a law that requires a woman to receive, view and discuss a sonogram before having an abortion.

The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments today whether a federal court in San Antonio was correct in drawing its own redistricting map over the map drawn by the Texas Legislature.

?We?ve been hung out to dry by activist judges,? Edmondson said, adding that party officials on both sides are waiting on the judiciary in order to know how to proceed with the spring primaries.

The Legislature?s map has not yet been approved under a special section of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that requires states with a history of racial discrimination to get pre-clearance for redistricting.

Experts have said the Texas case may signal the court?s willingness to visit the constitutionality of that special section. Depending on the outcome, the legal challenges of portions of the Voting Rights Act could affect not only redistricting but also voter identification and other election procedures.

In August, a federal judge struck down several portions of the sonogram law, saying they were unconstitutionally vague and violated the First Amendment.

Organizers for the party?s event are expecting a larger-than-usual crowd, Edmondson said.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Medical Center of Lewisville Grand Theater, 100 N. Charles St. in Lewisville. A social hour begins at 6 p.m.

A question-and-answer session with Abbott will likely follow. The event is open to Republicans, including those members of the voting public who vote Republican, Edmondson said.

Abbott has been the state?s attorney general since 2002. Previously, he served as a district judge in Harris County and as a member of the Texas Supreme Court.

Born in Wichita Falls and raised in Duncanville, Abbott received his law degree from Vanderbilt University.

PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE can be reached at 940-566-6881. Her e-mail address is pheinkel-wolfe@dentonrc.com.

Source: http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/localnews/stories/DRC_abbott_0109.3bbe7fb0b.html

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