Print News Coverage of the Supreme Court’s Arizona Redistricting Commission Decision Monday

Print News Coverage of the Supreme Court’s Arizona Redistricting Commission Decision Monday

 Print News Coverage of the Supreme Court's Arizona Redistricting Commission Decision Monday SCOTUSBLOG: Chief Justices' Robert's broad stance on the meaning of "Legislature" in the Arizona Redistricting case versus a narrow reading of "Legislature" in his Affordable Care Act case dissent. NPR: Law Prof. Rick Hasen speaks to NPR about Chief Justice Robert's dissent and his doubts about whether nonpartisan commissions could ever be nonpartisan. NYT: On why independent redistricting commissions don't necessarily favor liberals. Slate: Rick Hasen on "Mindless literalist interpretations in the service of conservative causes," and how the Arizona decision undermines Bush v. Gore.
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SCOTUSNow Predicts Winner / Losers in Arizona Redistricting Case by Question Count

SCOTUSNow Predicts Winner / Losers in Arizona Redistricting Case by Question Count

One Chicago-Kent College of Law blog likes to predict winners and losers in major supreme court cases by counting the questions during oral argument. According to the blog author's own statistics, his method is 63% accurate recently - but he says Arizona Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission is nearly a toss up when it comes to the comparative question count. He gives the legislature the upper hand in the end. Read the blog article for his detailed methodology and the actual question counts of the judges.
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Listen to Supreme Court Oral Argument in the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission Case

Listen to Supreme Court Oral Argument in the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission Case

Last week the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. The case revolves around the Republican-led legislatures' challenge to a state constitutional amendment that voters passed by initiative in 2000 giving a bipartisan commission control over redrawing Arizona's state and congressional district boundaries. While there are some initial issues of standing, the substantive question in this case will be whether the U.S. Constitution's Elections Clause prevents a state from transferring redistricting authority to an entity other than the legislature. So far, there have been several early impressions of the oral argument published, many…
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Early Analysis of Supreme Court Oral Argument in Arizona Redistricting Case

Early Analysis of Supreme Court Oral Argument in Arizona Redistricting Case

Hear are early assessments of the Supreme Court's oral argument yesterday in Arizona Legislative Black Caucus v. Arizona. Click the links for analysis. SCOTUSBLOG: Argument analysis: Literalism vs. the power of the people NYT: Court Skeptical of Arizona Plan for Less-Partisan Congressional Redistricting NPR: Supreme Court Seems Divided Over Independent Redistricting Commissions Politico: High Court Hears Redistricting Case Election Law Blog: Analysis: Supreme Court Looks to Endanger Citizen Redistricting Commissions and MORE Christian Science Monitor: Supreme Court: Can independent commissions draw redistricting lines?    
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Previewing Supreme Court Oral Argument in Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission v. Arizona

Previewing Supreme Court Oral Argument in Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission v. Arizona

Michael Morley ( assistant professor of law at the Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law at Barry University) and Nick Stephanopoulos (assistant professor of law at the University of Chicago Law School) join Jeffrey Rosen of the National Constitutional Center to discuss the upcoming Supreme Court oral arguments in Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission v. Arizona scheduled for March 2nd. Listen to the podcast here.   http://www.podbean.com/media/player/tu8c9-54130f/initByJs/1/auto/1
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American Constitution Society Brief: Will the Supreme Court Endanger Election Reform?

American Constitution Society Brief: Will the Supreme Court Endanger Election Reform?

 February 24, 2015 ACS is pleased to distribute “Another Attack on Election Reform: Congressional Redistricting Commissions,” an Issue Brief by Alan B. Morrison, Lerner Family Associate Dean for Public Interest and Public Service Law and Professorial Lecturer in Law at George Washington University Law School. In 2011, the Supreme Court struck down an attempt by Arizona voters to strengthen the integrity of state government through a public financing scheme for state elections. Now, just four years later, the Court is weighing the constitutionality of Arizona voters’ next attempt at electoral reform. In this issue brief, Morrison argues that the Supreme Court should let stand the…
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Quarterly Redistricting Update: January 2015

Quarterly Redistricting Update: January 2015

Arizona    October 2014- The Supreme Court agreed to hear the Arizona State Legislature’s case against the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission - formed in 2000 when voters approved Proposition 106. This proposition amended the state constitution to assign the redistricting function to a 5 member body. The seminal question in this case is whether the U.S. Constitution’s Elections Clause allows the redistricting task to be delegated away from the legislature. As simple a question as that may seem, there are several other preliminary issues of law that could keep the high court from ever answering the question. There are issues of standing, justiciability…
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Arizona Redistricting Trial Focuses on Elusive Proof of Partisan Bias

Paranoia is inherent in redistricting, even when it’s nonpartisan redistricting. A Republican backed legal challenge against the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission’s state legislative map went to trial last week and paranoia tainted every aspect of the case. The Republican plaintiffs pointed to overpopulated GOP districts versus under-populated Democratic districts as a sign that indeed the commission’s tie-breaking, independent chairwoman was actually a Democratic sympathizer, allowing Democrats on the panel to push through map scenarios favorable to their party.   They claim she never disclosed contributions to a Democratic candidate or her husband’s role as a Democratic strategist. The commission on…
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