Texas GOP advances new maps that would tighten slipping grip

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas lawmakers are on the brink of finishing redrawn U.S. House maps that would shore up their eroding dominance as voters peel away from the GOP in the state’s booming suburbs. The maps approved by the Texas House on Saturday night will now go through some last negotiations before being sent to Gov. Greg Abbott. The redrawn congressional districts may make it easier for incumbents to hold their seats. They also may blunt Black and Hispanic communities’ political influence, even as those voters drive Texas’ growth. The new lines create two new districts and make several less competitive for Republican lawmakers.