* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.
          START STRAIGHT UP AT SIX? >> WHENEVER YOU GET READY. 
          [Redistricting Public Input Meeting]
          [00:00:06]
          >> THE COMPUTER REFLEX AT 6 PM SO LET'S BEGIN. I AM JACK CAGLE I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF REPRESENTING HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT 4 WE HAVE ROUGHLY 1.2 MILLION PEOPLE HARRIS COUNTY HAS BEEN GROWING THERE'S 4.7 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY WHICH MEANS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE AN ALLOCATION EVERY 10 YEARS TO MAKE OUR POPULATIONS EQUAL AMONG THE FOUR PRECINCTS IN LESS INTERESTING PROCESS AND THIS IS ONE IN WHICH WE ARE SEEKING THE INPUT OF THE PUBLIC I HAVE A DOCUMENT WHICH IS THE NEWSPAPER FROM 1916 WHERE PUBLIC INPUT WAS VERY MUCH SOUGHT AFTER IN LITIGATION IS TO AND IF IT'S NOT THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE, THEY DIDN'T HAVE IT AT THE TIME AND ACCORDING TO THE DAILY POST THE DAY BEFORE AN ELECTION COMMISSIONERS COURT CHANGE THE ELECTION AND PUT ALL THE COMMISSIONERS IN ONE PRECINCT AND DIDN'T GIVE VERY MUCH NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC LITIGATION ENSUED, VOTING OCCURRED ALL KINDS OF CHAOS ERUPTED AND THEY ROSE UP AND VOTED OUT OF OFFICE EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED AND WE ARE HOPING TO AVOID THE WHOLE PROCESS BY GETTING PUBLIC INPUT FROM THE BEGINNING AND MAKING SURE THIS IS A FAIR, APPROPRIATE AND JUST PROCESS THERE ARE MULTIPLE WAYS YOU CAN PARTICIPATE YOU CAN PARTICIPATE TONIGHT BY SPEAKING, WE DO HAVE A VIRTUAL SPEAKER AND WE HAVE A FEW FOLKS WHO WERE IN THE AREA HERE AND BY COMING AND GIVING US YOUR TESTIMONY AND INPUT AND WE HAVE A PORTAL WHERE YOU CAN SUBMIT YOUR MAPS AND EARN ISSUES LATER ON. WE HAVE A COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WHO IS KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROCESS BY WHICH YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCESS AND SEEK YOUR INPUT AND ULTIMATELY THE LINE WILL BE DRAWN AND WE HAVE A COUPLE MORE PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT WILL TAKE PLACE THE SECOND THAT THE PUBLIC HEARINGS IN HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT 4 AND I SEE ONE PERSON IN THE AUDIENCE SMILING AT ME BECAUSE SHE IS IN 3 BUT HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT 4 AND WE WILL TAKE THAT INPUT AND ENGAGE IN DEBATE AND COMMISSIONERS COURT AND RESUME AND ÃHARRIS COUNTY LINES WILL BE MADE AT A SUBSEQUENT MEETING IN THE NEWS AND IN THE PRINT IS THE PROCESS OF THE SETTING UP OF THE LINES ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL AND STATE LEVEL AND THAT IS NOT OUR PROCESS WE ARE A DIFFERENT PROCESS OF OUR OWN AND WE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HARRIS COUNTY LINES AND SO WITH THAT I WILL TURN IT OVER TO NEIL WHO IS WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WHO WILL TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS. WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING AND ENCOURAGE YOU IF YOU ARE A PASSIVE PARTICIPANT TONIGHT, SUBMIT YOUR MAPS. NEIL? 
          >> CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? THANK YOU SO MUCH COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU FOR HOSTING THIS MEETING THANK YOU TO ALL OF US WHO ARE JOINING AND SOMETHING TO REDRAW THE BOUNDARIES TO POPULATION AND GROWTH IN THE COUNTY AND AS COMMISSIONER CAGLE MENTIONED HARRIS COUNTY IS GROWING IN POPULATION AND WE DO NEED TO REDRAW THESE LINES AND WHAT I WILL DO BRIEFLY IS TAKE EVERYONE THROUGH OUR WEBSITE AND THE PORTAL TO SHOW FOLKS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AND HOW THEY CAN PARTICIPATE. THIS FIRST PAGE WITH GENERALIZED INFO FOR FOLKS ARE 
          [00:05:16]
TRYING TO LEARN ABOUT THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS AND SO FOR EXAMPLE WE HAVE CENSUS DATA AND THE LEGISLATURE IS DRAWING THE LINES CURRENTLY FOR CONGRESSIONAL SEATS, STATE SENATE SEATS IN STATE REPRESENTATIVE SEATS AND WE HAVE ADDED THEM AT LEAST AS IT RELATES TO HARRIS COUNTY ISSUE I WILL SHOW YOU EXAMPLES OF THESE THESE OF THE PROPOSED HARRIS COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICTS SOMETIMES YOU MIGHT NEED TO GIVE IT A SECOND SO THIS IS THE CURRENT PROPOSED SET OF DISTRICTS NOW KEEP IN MIND THIS MIGHT CHANGE BUT JUST IN CASE FOLKS MIGHT WANT TO SEE THE COUNTY WITH THE DISTRICTS AND WE HAVE THAT FOR CONGRESS AND STATE SENATE AND WE HAVE PRESENTATIONS WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST AND REDISTRICTING CRITERIA MAPS AND CENSUS TIMELINES THE SECOND TAB IS THE PORTAL THIS IS THE PLACE TO GET YOUR INPUT AS COMMISSIONER CAGLE SAID I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT YOUR TESTIMONY IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET YOUR INPUT YOU CAN COME TO A MEETING AND TESTIFY IN WE WILL LIKELY HAVE TWO MORE MEETINGS AFTER THIS REVIEW CAN TESTIFY BUT IF YOU WOULD RATHER YOU ARE WELCOME TO GIVE YOUR FEEDBACK THROUGH THIS PORTAL. 
          IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S TAKING A SECOND. SO THE WAY THIS WORKS FIRST YOU TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND FOR EXAMPLE IF YOU ARE REPRESENTING AN ORGANIZATION YOU CAN SAY WITH THAT ORGANIZATION IS YOU CAN LET US KNOW WHAT PRECINCT YOU WERE IN AND WE GET TO PROVIDE INPUT THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO DO IT THIS FIRST ONE IS DRAW SUGGESTIONS ON THE MAP SO WE HAVE A MAP BELOW AND YOU CAN PICK A LINE AND DRAW A LINE A TEXT BOX IF YOU WOULD LIKE AND SAY SOMETHING ABOUT IT AND IN ADDITION, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD A PDF OPTION THIS IS A FULL RESOLUTION PDF MAP AND THEN UPLOAD IT AND THAT'S ANOTHER WAY TO TRANSMIT YOUR IDEAS TO US AND WE HAVE A COMMENT BOX JUST GIVE ANY OTHER THOUGHTS YOU HAVE ON REDISTRICTING FROM THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S VIEW IF YOU HAVE ANY TECHNICAL PROBLEMS OR THERE'S ANY REASON YOU CAN'T GET YOUR INPUT TO US FEEL FREE TO WRITE IN HERE I WILL BE READING ALL OF THESE AND I WILL REACH OUT TO YOU SO WE WANT TO GET YOUR INPUT SO WE WILL DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO FACILITATE THAT PROCESS AS LONG AS YOU CAN LET US KNOW YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE. 
          A FEW MORE OF THESE THE JOIN THE DISCUSSION PAGE THIS HAS BEEN A RUNNING CALENDAR OF WHEN THESE MEETINGS HAVE BEEN WHEN THE MEETING IS OVER WE PUT OF THE RECORDINGS YOU CAN SEE WHAT HAS GONE ON IN PAST MEETINGS AND AS THESE GET SCHEDULED WE WILL ADD THEM TO THE CALENDAR. 
          THE LEARN ABOUT REDISTRICTING VASSAR RESOURCE LIBRARY THAT HAS A BUNCH OF LINKS TO LEARN ABOUT REDISTRICTING IN THE PROCESS AND WE HAVE A PUBLIC SUBMISSIONS PAGE SO FOLKS WHO DO SUBMIT THROUGH THE PORTAL SO YOU ARE CLEAR ON THIS WE WILL ONLY SHARE YOUR NAME WE WON'T SHARE OTHER IDENTIFYING INFORMATION BUT WHEN THIS POPS UP YOU CAN SEE HOW IT LOOKS WE WILL HAVE YOUR NAME WE WILL BLOCK OUT THE INFORMATION IN WHATEVER COMMENTS YOU HAVE WILL BE PUT UP THERE AND SO LET ME ALSO FLAG ONE OTHER THING WE HAVE A SELECT LANGUAGE BUTTON SO IF YOU WANT TO DO THIS IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE YOU COULD DO IT IN SPANISH OR WHATEVER YOU 
          [00:10:02]
LIKE SO I WILL REITERATE THIS IS ONE WAY TO PROVIDE YOUR FEEDBACK AND THIS PROCESS SUBMIT YOUR MAP IDEAS THAT SECOR WAY TO DO IT AND AT THE BEGINNING THIS EXERCISE IS TELLING US ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY WHAT THE ISSUES ARE THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU AND TO LOCATE YOURSELF GEOGRAPHICALLY SAY THESE ARE THE IMPORTANT BOUNDARIES AND SO IF THIS PAGE IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO TELL US ABOUT THAT SO I KNOW WE HAVE SOME SPEAKERS I GUESS TIFFANY IF YOU HAVE A PERSON OVER THE PHONE READY WE CAN START THEIR OR IN PERSON, WHATEVER. 
          >> WE DON'T HAVE A VIRTUAL SPEAKER BUT WE HAVE ONE PERSON WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK IN 
          PERSON. >> WHO WOULD EVER LIKE TO SPEAK YOU CAN COME UP. AND TIFFANY, SUMMA THE SPEAKER WHO SIGNED UP IS JOHN ENRIGHT 
          OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS. >> THANK YOU FOR HOSTING THIS FORUM TONIGHT I AM REPRESENTING THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS A MEMBER OF THE RISING STARS PROGRAM. I WOULD LIKE TO START BY SAYING I APPLAUD THE HARRIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT FOR HOSTING THESE MEETINGS AND TAKING PUBLIC FEEDBACK. 
          THE MICROSOFT PAINT STYLE EDITING TOOL AS A MAP FOR ONLINE SUBMISSIONS IS HIGHLY IMPRECISE THAT THEY USE A TOOL LIKE DISTRICT ARR AND DRAW MAPS WHICH CLEARLY IDENTIFY WHICH VOTER TABULATION DISTRICTS THEY ATTEND AND HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS WOULD BE PRESENT. 
          THIS MAKES IT MUCH EASIER TO READ ON THE COUNTY AND FOR THE PERSON DRAWING THE MAP TO MAKE SURE IT MEETS POPULATION DEVIATION AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS. 
          THESE ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE CURRENT MAP FOR HARRIS COUNTY IS GERRYMANDERED WHERE NOT ONLY IS IT SHAPED LIKE A HOOK BUT THE SHAPE STRONGLY CORRELATES WITH DEMOCRATIC VOTING PATTERNS. THIS IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF PACKING ONE SUBSET OF VOTERS FOR OVERALL VOTING POWER AND WAS COMPLETED BY THE MEETING FOR THAT COMMUNITY LEADERS NOTED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY FEEL AS IF THEIR VOTE DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE MAPS ARE RIGGED AGAINST SENT TO A LARGE EXTENT THEY ARE CORRECT ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL WHO SUBMITTED WRITTEN TESTIMONY ASKED THEM TO VOTE AND MAKE IT LOOK LIKE FOUR QUARTERS OF A PIE AND SAID THAT IT WAS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHY PEOPLE HATE GERRYMANDERING IN POLITICS. 
          I COULD NOT AGREE MORE IT'S TIME TO RETHINK HOW MAPS ARE DRAWN I HAVE SUBMITTED A PROPOSED MAP WHICH CAN BE FOUND ON THE PUBLIC MISSION TAB OF THE REDISTRICTING PAGE THIS MAP ACHIEVES LESS THAN ONE PERCENT POPULATION DEVIATION MEETS REQUIREMENTS AND SUBMITTED TO THE TEXAS REDISTRICTING PORTAL AND IT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT A LARGE COMMUNITY IN SOUTHWEST HOUSTON MOST NOTABLY IT HAS LINES THAT CREATE SQUADRONS LIKE THE FOUR CORNERS OF A PIE ANALOGY AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT. 
          >> MY NAME IS MARLENE AND I LIVE IN PRECINCT 3 WHICH IS THE WEST SIDE OF JONES ROAD PRECINCT 4 IS THE EAST SIDE OF JONES ROAD SO YOU ARE PRESENTLY SITTING IN PRECINCT 3 SO MY POINT IS, HAVING LIVED HERE FOR 42 YEARS AND BEING INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP'S WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND BEING PRESENT WITH THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS I HAVE BEEN VERY INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THEY REALLY COUNT DURING TIMES OF DISASTER AND WHAT WE HAVE 
          [00:15:04]
NOTICED IS IT'S TAKEN A LONG TIME FOR PEOPLE TO REALIZE THERE'S A LARGE POPULATION OUT HERE AND I KNOW THE DEVELOPMENT WAS APPROVED THROUGH COMMISSIONERS COURT BUT THE FLOOD CONTROL HAD A HARD TIME KEEPING UP WITH THAT SO DURING HARVEY IF IT WASN'T FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OUR CHURCHES, THERE WAS NO GENERAL COUNTY FACILITIES TO PROVIDE ANY RESCUE MISSIONS AND I WAS VERY FORTUNATE HAVING A CONVERSATION AND THAT WE ALSO DIDN'T HAVE ANY FEMA MEETING SOURCE LOCATIONS OUT HERE.SO OUR CONSIDERATION IS, CAN WE LOOK AT THE CONSIDERATION OF CYPRESS CREEK WATERSHED AND SOME OF THE OTHER WATERSHEDS AND TRY TO HONE IN THE COMMISSIONERS TO BE THE EXPERT ON THAT WATERSHED. 
          YOU SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN PRECINCT 4 I KNOW IT BUT I AM ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET BY A FEW BLOCKS BUT IS STILL VERY PROBLEMATIC WHEN TRYING TO EXPLAIN THIS TO PEOPLE, THAT YOU NEED TO CALL THIS COMMISSIONER OR IF WE ARE DOWN ELDRIDGE AND THE INTERSECTION OF GRANT ROAD WHERE IT'S ONE PRECINCT MEETS ANOTHER PRECINCT IS WHICH SIDE OF THE ROAD DO YOU CALL SO I WAS LOOKING AT WATERSHED CONSIDERATION AND I DO UNDERSTAND, I HAVE WORKED IN THE LEGISLATURE FOR 16 YEARS I UNDERSTAND LOOKING AT THE POPULATIONS THAT I SERIOUSLY THINK THAT IT WOULD BEHOOVE US TO CONSIDER THE EMERGENCY SITUATIONS WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IN THE CRISIS THAT'S WHERE WE RELY ON OUR COUNTY TO RESCUE US OTHERWISE WE ARE DOING PRETTY GOOD WE TEND TO KEEP UP WITH THE ROADS AND CALL FOR ROAD REPAIRS BUT THAT'S A CRITICAL SITUATION WHERE EVERYONE IS NEEDING HELP. MY NAME IS MARLENE LA BRECHT 
          ANY QUESTIONS? >> I BELIEVE THAT CONCLUDES OUR SPEAKERS FOR THE EVENING I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING WE HAVE A CONSTABLES OFFICE IN THE BACK AND WE HAVE THE INTERPRETERS THAT ARE ALSO IN THE BACK WITH FLYING FINGERS AND MY BEST FRIEND GROWING UP WAS JEFÃI THINK THOSE OF YOU WH
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.