Judges strike down NC state legislature lines as unconstitutional gerrymandering

[pnwmom]

Source: The State

North Carolina's political maps for the state legislature are unconstitutional and must be redrawn before the 2020 elections, lawyers for the winning side said Tuesday.

The ruling hasn't been posted online yet, but a court official said Tuesday afternoon that it would be soon.

The ruling follows a two-week trial earlier this summer. Democrats and anti-gerrymandering activists accused Republican politicians in Raleigh of intentionally drawing political districts to take power away from Democratic voters and give inordinate power to a Republican voters.

Read more: https://www.thestate.com/news/state/north-carolina/article234668747.html

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https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/9/3/1880414/-Major-victory-against-GOP-gerrymandering-State-court-strikes-down-North-Carolina-s-legislative-maps

importantly, because this case was litigated solely under North Carolina's state constitution, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling earlier this year that the U.S. Constitution prohibits challenges to partisan gerrymandering did not present an obstacle to the plaintiffs. And for the same reason, this decision should be insulated from federal review, much like a ruling from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court last year that replaced a Republican congressional gerrymander with a much fairer map.

If this ruling stands up on appeal, North Carolina will soon have new legislative maps. The lower court gave the GOP-run legislature until Sept. 18 to draw legal districts for use in 2020, but ever since they gained full control of state government in 2013, Republicans have demonstrated a flagrant disregard for the rule of law that should weigh heavily as the courts decide whether to grant the GOP another shot.

In handing down their ruling, the judges announced that they would immediately appoint a nonpartisan expert to assist them in reviewing any replacement maps to ensure they pass muster--or to draw maps of their own should the GOP's efforts prove unconstitutional yet again.

In fact, during the past six years, Republicans have lost nearly two dozen lawsuits due to their undemocratic attempts to seize power from the public, including repeated losses in cases concerning gerrymandering. Those defeats even include a previous lawsuit over these very same legislative maps, which were redrawn for the 2018 election cycle after they were twice struck for discriminating against black voters.

HERE IS THE RULING:

https://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/athena/files/2019/09/03/5d6ec7bee4b0cdfe0576ee09.pdf

[trueblue2007]

1. Repukes have to CHEAT inorder to win. They can't win on their own merit.

[Gothmog]

2. NC maps struck down by court were drawn by GOP redistricting mastermind Tom Hofeller

Link to tweet

[MuseRider]

3. I hope this turns out well.

Brownback and Kobach tried to redistrict Kansas and no matter what the court said they just made it worse, the even created a "business" that does this sort of thing. The maps were really silly, it was too apparent what was going on and I believe....sorry for my aged mind that the court here drew up a map and it was like the old map that made sense. That is what we have now thank goodness or we would be in worse shape than we are now. Dem Governor and she is a real gem but our legislature is horrific. We will see what changes we can make there while we have Laura in the top dog seat.

[AllaN01Bear]

4. thank you , but, the rs cheat and cheat and cheat til the cows come home .

[AJT]

5. Wisconsin has insanely gerrymandered districts but

the State Supreme Court is extremely rightwing. We elect the Supreme Court judges here so the seats are very political.

[DeminPennswoods]

6. This is exactly what happened in Pennsylvania

The state supreme court gave a very short deadline for the R-controlled legislature and the D gov to come up with a new congressional map. In the interim, the court hired its own map drawing expert and said if no map was provided by the legislature/gov, the court would use its own expert and draw the map itself. PA GOP tried to sue in federal court and the US supreme court to intervene, but since the ruling was based solely on the state constitution, those lawsuits went nowhere. By the time they were done suing, the time was nearly elapsed and they lost whatever chance they had for input. Rs went from a 13-5 advantage to a 9-9 tie.

[Gothmog]

7. North Carolina Republicans say they won't appeal today's ruling

Link to tweet

[not_the_one]

8. addressing state gerrymandered districts

is the only way to address this.

That requires the democratic party pay attention to state and local elections. The russiapublicans started with dog catchers, and captured most of the local offices.

We have to be just as vigilant.

[CRK7376]

9. As a life long North Carolinian I don't

believe a thing that comes out of the mouth of any NCGOPer. THe Judges ruling makes me very happy but somehow I don't believe it will be as easy as they predict. NCGOP lies about everything.