Supreme Court to hear cases on partisan gerrymandering
Source: Washington Post
The Supreme Court once again will take up unresolved constitutional questions about partisan gerrymandering, agreeing Friday to consider rulings from two lower courts that found congressional maps in North Carolina and Maryland so extreme that they violated the rights of voters.
The North Carolina map was drawn by Republicans, the Maryland districts by the states dominant Democrats.
The Supreme Court has never found a states redistricting map so infected with politics that it violates the Constitution. It passed up the chance last term to settle the issue of whether courts have a role in policing partisan gerrymandering, sending back on technical rulings challenges to a Republican-drawn plan in Wisconsin, and the challenged Maryland map.
But there will be a new set of justices considering the issue. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who had held out the belief that some gerrymandering could be so political as to be unconstitutional, has been replaced with Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, who may have a more conservative view on the issue.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-to-hear-cases-on-partisan-gerrymandering/2019/01/04/6bd3ae46-0f8b-11e9-84fc-d58c33d6c8c7_story.html
sandensea
(21,595 posts)"That there - I say - that there Gerrymandering oughtta be right and legal, Your Judgenesses."
"Why, counsel?"
"That way - I say - that way we can win no matter whut!"
The Mouth
(3,143 posts)For 150 years, it's been called 'gerrymandering' by the side getting screwed.
The only 'fair' solution would be some sort of mathematical algorithm that creates the most compact districts possible, and let the votes fall where they may.
BumRushDaShow
(128,372 posts)that are non-partisan and that work with those types of algorithm programs to help to come up with the lines. The one factor that does come into play however (which has been an excuse by the GOP to "pack"/"concentrate" ) is the VRA, that talks about offering opportunities to have either majority-minority districts or something close to that to increase a more diverse representation, when possible. However as time moves forward and more within the majority population are willing to vote for a minority, this may not need to be mandatory anymore.
ut oh
(891 posts)They hear and rule against the Dem gerrymandering and claim the the GOP ones are A-OK!