Public News Service out of Texas reports:

Texas’ redistricting plan, which was signed into law by Gov. Rick Perry this week, requires federal clearance before it can be implemented. Attorney General Greg Abbott asked a three-judge panel in Washington, D.C., for that approval Tuesday. It’s the first time Texas has opted for the courts rather than the Department of Justice to review new political maps for congressional, legislative, and State Board of Education districts. The state is allowed to choose between administrative and court venues to hear arguments that its plan complies with provisions of the federal Voting Rights Act that guarantee adequate minority representation.

Matt Angle, director of the Lone Star Project, a progressive research organization, says the state’s decision to bypass the administrative option is politically strategic.