Supreme Court rules 5-4 in Bush v. Vera that three Texas districts are racial gerrymanders

The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on June 13, 1996, that three Texas congressional districts — CD-18, CD-29, and CD-30 — violated the Equal Protection Clause because the legislature used race as the predominant factor in drawing their boundaries. Justice O'Connor wrote for the plurality that racial gerrymandering isn't cured by simultaneously pursuing partisan goals. Texas had to redraw all three districts, setting a precedent that federal courts could review race-conscious redistricting even when minority voters retained representation.