Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman.
The Texas House has passed a bill redrawing the state's congressional maps.
The Republican plan seeks to flip five Democratic districts in next year's midterm elections and send five new GOP lawmakers to the U.S.
House.
That could increase Republican control of Congress.
The Texas Newsroom's Blaise Ganey reports.
After eight hours of passionate and intense debate between Republicans and Democrats,
the bill passed on an 88-52 vote.
House Democrat Rep. Ann Johnson called the map racist in the changes in effort to cheat Hispanic and black Texans out of their right to elect a representative of their choice.
If you knew you could win this next election,
you wouldn't be taking this effort to try to steal five seats from elected officials that members of color elected to represent them in Washington,
D.C.
The measure now heads to the Senate.
Members in that chamber will meet Thursday night to hear the bill.
It's expected to pass and head to the governor, who signaled he would sign it.
I'm Blaze Ganey in Austin.
Hurricane Erin is moving away from the East Coast.
The tropical storm warnings have been posted from the outer banks of North Carolina to southern Virginia.
From member station WUNC,
Bradley George reports officials now say flooding has washed out a section of the only highway on the outer banks.