Drawing the Maps at The Texas Tribune's symposium previewing the 2021 legislative session
The redistricting process — redrawing congressional and state legislative districts — could take longer than usual this year, two state lawmakers said. Redistricting takes place every 10 years following the census.

“There’s a lot of unknowns,” said state Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, who chairs the Senate Select Committee on Redistricting. “We’ll start the session with those unknowns still there.”

Huffman was joined by state Rep. Phil King, R-Austin, in a conversation moderated by Ross Ramsey, executive editor of The Texas Tribune. Legal challenges and changing deadlines, compounded by the coronavirus pandemic, frustrated census efforts and could push redistricting into a special session, the lawmakers said.

If the U.S. Census Bureau doesn’t hand over data to lawmakers by mid-April, Huffman said “it will be impossible to get” maps redrawn without a special session.

A number of statewide public hearings scheduled for earlier this year were canceled because of the pandemic. King said he was working with the House parliamentarian to draft rules to allow virtual meetings where the public can weigh in on how new maps are drawn. Huffman said she plans to introduce a similar proposal.