Texas Congressional Districts Invalidated by Federal Court: News Coverage

Texas Congressional Districts Invalidated by Federal Court: News Coverage

By EditorMar 16, 2017
Texas - Six years in the making, the federal district court panel released its opinion late last week in the long arduous litigation we call Texas Redistricting.  This 2-1 decision is only the beginning since it is in regard to the state legislature's 2011 map, which has since been replaced.  The court has yet to consider the 2013 map, which is in place currently, and the state legislative map for the lower house. What is the importance of this decision on a now defunct map? The court could require Texas to return to the preclearance regime, which was overturned in…
Redistricting, Redistricting Gerrymanders, Redistricting Litigation, , , ,
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Maryland Judge Orders Legislative Leaders to Testify in Partisan Gerrymandering Case

Maryland Judge Orders Legislative Leaders to Testify in Partisan Gerrymandering Case

By EditorFeb 02, 2017
Maryland - Nearly four years after Bethesda, Md. resident Stephen M. Shapiro and other Maryland voters filed a partisan gerrymandering lawsuit against Maryland's congressional district map, a judge has ordered the Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates and the President of the Maryland Senate to testify in the case and turn over documents, rejecting claims of legislative privilege. Shapiro's case has wound its way through the courts from its initial filing in 2013, you can read the original complaint here.   A district court judge dismissed the case but Shapiro won his appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled…
NEWS, POLICY and PRACTICE, Redistricting, Redistricting Gerrymanders, Redistricting Litigation, , , , , , , ,
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Chief Justice Roberts Requests Response in NC Racial Gerrymandering Case

Chief Justice Roberts Requests Response in NC Racial Gerrymandering Case

By EditorJan 08, 2017
North Carolina - A three-judge federal appeals court panel ruled that 28 state legislative districts in North Carolina's 2010 redistricting map were unconstitutional racial gerrymanders that diluted the votes of black and Hispanic voters.  The state has appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the lower federal court has already given an order to the North Carolina legislature to start on and finalize a new map for special state elections later in 2017. The Republican-dominated legislature would rather wait and see what the Supreme Court has to say, especially since a newly elected Democratic governor is waiting in the wings.  This…
NEWS, Race in Redistricting, Racial Gerrymandering, Redistricting Gerrymanders, Redistricting Litigation, Redistricting Race Rules, , ,
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Packing Minorities Into Districts. When Is That Ever Okay?

Packing Minorities Into Districts. When Is That Ever Okay?

By EditorDec 05, 2016
Washington DC - The Supreme Court will tackle that question today as it hears oral arguments in two redistricting cases.  Both cases are alleged racial gerrymander claims; one orginating from Virginia's state legislative map and the other from North Carolina's congressional district map.  (more…)
Race in Redistricting, Racial Gerrymandering, Redistricting, Redistricting Litigation, Redistricting Race Rules, Voting Rights Act, , , , , , , , , ,
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Court Rules 28 of 170 N.C. Legislative Districts are Racial Gerrymanders

Court Rules 28 of 170 N.C. Legislative Districts are Racial Gerrymanders

By EditorAug 16, 2016
North Carolina - Last Thursday, a three-judge U.S. District Court panel ruled that 28 of the Republican-drawn districts for the N.C. legislature were indeed unconstitutional racial gerrymanders. The Republican practice of making "safe" minority districts even "safer" to comply with the Voting Rights Act was completely disavowed by the court.  In short, the Voting Rights Act does not mandate districts in which minorities are already successful at electing their preferred candidates, to be packed with even more minority voters - something that North Carolina insisted was the case. The districts will stand for the 2016 election however.  The court has ordered a…
Race in Redistricting, Racial Gerrymandering, Redistricting, Redistricting Gerrymanders, Redistricting Litigation, Redistricting Race Rules, , , ,
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Meet the Man Behind the Texas Voter ID Lawsuit

Meet the Man Behind the Texas Voter ID Lawsuit

By EditorJul 26, 2016
Texas - U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey was a state legislator in Texas when that body passed a comprehensive Voter Identification law.  He had misgivings after witnessing the legislative debate and eventually sued.  North Texas public radio's Rick Holter sat down with Veasey, who represents Texas' 33rd congressional district, to discuss what brought him to sue and whether he thinks the recent Fifth Circuit ruling will relieve the harms he says it causes to some voters. Listen below.  
Redistricting, Redistricting Litigation, Redistricting Race Rules,
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Texas Appeals Court Rejects Voter ID Law. Sort of

Texas Appeals Court Rejects Voter ID Law. Sort of

By EditorJul 25, 2016
Texas - This Wednesday the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals dealt a major blow to the 2011 Texas Voter ID law which has been in effect now since 2013.  The main legal challenge against this law, which specifies 7 types of photo identification that must be used to register and vote - has been that it violates the Voting Right Act both because it was passed by the legislature with an intent to discriminate against poor and minority voters and because in practice, it has a discriminatory effect on those groups. With respect to the discriminatory effect claim, the…
Casedocs, Redistricting, Redistricting Litigation, Redistricting Race Rules,
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Supreme Court Decides “Evenwel” Equal Population Case: Read the Opinion

By EditorApr 04, 2016
Wash. DC - The Supreme Court just released its opinion in Evenwel v. Abott, a challenge to redistricting based on "total population" versus eligible or registered voters.  Read the pre-decision discussion here. Redistricting expert Nathaniel Persily's brief is here.  Listen to the Supreme Court oral argument here.  The court flatly ruled against requiring redrawn districts to equalize voting eligible populations and noted the founding fathers acceptance of "total population" as an appropriate denominator.  In the words of the Court: "Settled practice confirms what constitutional history and prior decisions strongly suggest. Adopting voter-eligible apportionment asconstitutional command would upset a well-functioning approach todistricting…
Casedocs, Redistricting, Redistricting Litigation,
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