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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBreaking news: The Supreme Court DENIED a request for a stay in PA partisan gerrymandering case
Breaking news: The Supreme Court DENIED a request for a stay in PA partisan gerrymandering case. GOP lawmakers wanted court to let them hold off on redrawing map before 2018, Court said no.Top Republican lawmakers in Pennsylvania suffered another defeat on Monday when the U.S. Supreme Court denied their request to delay drawing a new congressional map ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.
In January, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the states congressional map gave Republicans such a clear political advantage that it clearly, plainly and palpably violated the states constitution. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court gave Republican lawmakers about three weeks to redraw the map, and said the court would redraw the map itself if the lawmakers failed to agree on one with Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D).
Hinting that there werent federal questions at stake, the Pennsylvania justices wrote the Pennsylvania Constitution was the sole basis for their decision.
Pennsylvania Republicans appealed the state courts ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, saying the U.S. Constitution only granted legislatures, not state courts, the power to draw congressional districts. They also said an entirely new congressional map would cause chaos in the systems election process, set to begin at the end of February. Pennsylvanias top election official says they can run the election in a timely manner with a new map in place.
Their request went before Justice Samuel Alito, who oversees the 3rd Circuit, which includes Pennsylvania. Alito denied the request on Monday.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/supreme-court-pennsylvania-gerrymandering_us_5a74bf28e4b06ee97af274d4?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
Link to tweet
Link to tweet
vi5
(13,305 posts)Ha! Just kidding. They're Republicans. They'll do whatever they want and nobody can stop them.
dsc
(52,169 posts)which lets the court draw, court already has a map maker in mind.
vi5
(13,305 posts)...because it really has started to seem like nothing matters and even victories are meaningless because there is nobody in charge...nobody with any control over any of the GOP's reckless, lawless actions.
FakeNoose
(32,823 posts)The redrawing will be done by an independent committee, and I think they report to Gov. Wolf who is a Democrat.
The lawsuit was brought by an independent group, and they already won the suit last month.
This delay was just the latest BS because the Republicans don't want to turn over the polling data that they used when they drew up the district lines in 2012. They can't delay any more because they were spanked by SCOTUS, and that's what this is about.
Time's up guys!
DeminPennswoods
(15,290 posts)The legislature will draw a map. They might use the same process as for a normal re-districting which is a panel of 5 (2 Rs, 2 Ds (appointed by their caucuses) and 1 head of the committee), though.
The new map will have to be approved by Gov Wolf, so it can't be too partisan. Wolf has hired his own redistricting map expert.
The Supreme Court has also hired an redistricting map expert. The court has also invited the relevent parties to submit new maps for its consideration.
The bottom line is there were be at least a few new maps for the court to consider.
FTR, this ruling does not affect the upcoming special election in CD-18 next month.
FakeNoose
(32,823 posts)Thanks for the clarification. I believe they've got it started already but maybe not completed yet.
Will be completed by March, as I understand it.
DeminPennswoods
(15,290 posts)is backing HB 722 and SB 22 to create a non-partisan commission for redistricting. The house bill is currently stalled in Metcalfe's gov't operations committee as he will not allow it come to a vote despite the bill having nearly 1/2 the state house as co-sponsors. These bills need to pass by July in order to make it onto the ballot.
louis-t
(23,309 posts)after you told us our scheme is illegal."
Loki Liesmith
(4,602 posts)If they cant draw a map acceptable to the governor the court itself will commission a new map.
gratuitous
(82,849 posts)Maybe some of the Shelby County majority is re-thinking its conclusion that racism is dead in the United States?
unblock
(52,387 posts)louis-t
(23,309 posts)unblock
(52,387 posts)BumRushDaShow
(129,662 posts)Off to the greatest!
atreides1
(16,094 posts)Without a stay, the Republicans in the state legislature will either have to turn over the information requested by the court, or face contempt of court charges!
oasis
(49,429 posts)meow2u3
(24,774 posts)The GOP will try to go as far as they can to tweak the gerrymandered districts, but I predict neither Gov. Wolf nor the PA SC will have any of it.
And the GOP won't like it one bit if the SC of PA draws the districts; the repukes can't stand fairness.
oasis
(49,429 posts)Wake up America!
FakeNoose
(32,823 posts)There's an independent non-partisan group behind this lawsuit and they're the ones who will redraw it.
They're reporting to the Governor and I believe the SC of PA will have final review in March.
The delay was caused because the GOP didn't want to give up their secret polling info that they used in 2012 to draw up the previous cngressional district boundaries. They claimed they owned the data but it's really not theirs. State funds were used to create the data and it never should have been secret in the first place.
Of course we all know the real reason - it's their secret weapon in how they were able to gerrymander themselves into winning 15 out of 18 congressional seats. The state of PA is roughly 50/50 as far as Dem/Rep voting, and yet they won 15 out of 18 congressional seats?
What the ever-loving fuck? Even SCOTUS could see what a travesty this is.
GeoWilliam750
(2,522 posts)And they won 53.9% of the popular vote.
Still, it is badly gerrymandered.
lindysalsagal
(20,747 posts)45 promised we'd tire of it.
Wounded Bear
(58,743 posts)Although it is pretty obvious what happened there, given the actual representation is so badly representative of actual votes cast.
One win for the good guys.
meow2u3
(24,774 posts)Bad news for GOP cheaters. They wanted to make a Federal case of the PA state Constitution.
crazycatlady
(4,492 posts)Petitioning starts next week.
FakeNoose
(32,823 posts)I'm sure they had already started redrawing, since the court case was won in January. This case was heard in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court which decided in favor of redrawing the districts immediately.
The reason it went to SCOTUS is because of the Republican Party's delay in turning over the secret polling data that they used to draw up the districts in 2012. They got spanked by SCOTUS and were told that they can't delay it any more. They have to turn over the data now.
I'm happy that other states will be able to cite this case as a legal precedent now that SCOTUS has a ruling on it as well as the state Supreme Court.
rainin
(3,011 posts)One from the Rs and one from the Dems. If the Rs miss the deadline, they adopt the dem map. If Rs try to submit another unconstitutional map, they accept the dem map.
Otherwise, Rs will just stall. November is coming fast!
Loki Liesmith
(4,602 posts)toddwv
(2,830 posts)State legislators are being given an opportunity to redraw the map in time for the May 15 primary election, subject to the governor's approval, and file it with the court by Feb. 15.
But the decision also invites "all parties and interveners" to submit their own proposed replacement maps. If lawmakers can't make it happen on time, the justices will choose a new map based on the court record.
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/01/22/579788104/pennsylvania-supreme-court-strikes-down-voting-map
murielm99
(30,777 posts)scheming daemons
(25,487 posts)Renew Deal
(81,883 posts)scheming daemons
(25,487 posts)n2doc
(47,953 posts)In PA case, the gerrymandering clearly violated parts of PA state constitution. I am guessing that wasn't the case in NC.
malthaussen
(17,217 posts)This could have some implications for other states. And that was Mr Justice Alito's ruling, interesting.
-- Mal
kpete
(72,028 posts)and Alito?
wow, but wonderful news
kp
MyOwnPeace
(16,940 posts)WOW! What wonderful news. This is MOST unexpected, giving us hope for greater things to come?
THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN!
https://www.americanheritage.com/content/1781-world-turned-upside-down
DFW
(54,448 posts)He and Thomas are the two that I would have trusted to find ANY convoluted argument to let the gerrymandering of Pennsylvania continue.
I can just hear Karl Rove paraphrasing LBJ: "If I've lost Alito, I've lost the nation...."
spanone
(135,900 posts)Mr. Sparkle
(2,950 posts)the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is going to end up drawing it, which should be interesting.
IllinoisBirdWatcher
(2,315 posts)Bush appointee Justice Samuel Alito is one of the most conservative members of the SC. That makes this denial even more significant.
kpete
(72,028 posts)i know
!!!
haele
(12,684 posts)Unless the Justice or Commerce departments are involved.
Which can occasionally work for the common good, as much as he's a selfishly elitist Federalist d**k.
This was a cut and dry statutory law situation, not one of those touchey-feely "civil rights" law situations. There's no competing interests involved that could be unduly harmed - so the GOP is going to have to go back to the fallback of voter suppression.
It would do more harm to the power of the Supreme Court if he did get involved, and he's at least smart enough to figure that out.
Haele
old guy
(3,284 posts)How much will this effect those rulings at lower courts if at all?
kpete
(72,028 posts)Link to tweet
?s=17
Gothmog
(145,666 posts)trueblue2007
(17,242 posts)Jim__
(14,089 posts)... draw the lines any way they wanted.
keepleft101
(82 posts)I live in PA. This gerrymandering needs to stop!
Javaman
(62,534 posts)flying_wahini
(6,667 posts)Texas has been gerrymandered for decades and even though we proved it still nothing happens...
eleny
(46,166 posts)klook
(12,171 posts)durablend
(7,465 posts)What's left for Scarnati and his cabal? Sit in?
pnwmom
(109,009 posts)The decision was made based on the clear, plain, and palpable wording of PA's constitution.
SCOTUS could use this to draw a line in the sand -- and say that the US constitution lacks a similar clear, plain, and palpable requirement.
durablend
(7,465 posts)Can't see them giving up this easily. Those Russians are going to be busy reprogramming all of them.
Some good news....
Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)to ensure the maps are done right.
Cha
(297,809 posts)This is Good!
OliverQ
(3,363 posts)asking to bring up Articles of Impeachment against 5 of the 7 State Supreme Court judges for striking down gerrymandering.
Holy crap Republicans are insane fascists.
SunSeeker
(51,745 posts)Pleasantly surprised.
BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)Ending gerrymandering would be great 👍🏾.