AUSTIN — Today, Lt. Governor David Dewhurst issued the following statement after the U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. ruled that Texas’ redistricting maps do not comply with the Voting Rights Act:

"The federal court has turned its back on the rights of Texas voters and has chosen to side with Attorney General Eric Holder in his politically motivated actions against Texas. The Texas maps both respect the rights of voters and comply with the Voting Rights Act. This flawed federal court ruling must be swiftly appealed to protect Texas from the federal government’s infringing on our states’ rights. It is my hope that the appeal to the Supreme Court shows that Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional in its unequal treatment of states."