June 27, 2019

Republicans on Supreme Court Rule In Favor of Republican Gerrymandering

Pennsylvania’s 7th congressional district, drawn to help Republicans maintain a political edge.Mother Jones; National Atlas

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The Republican majority on the Supreme Court has ruled that it’s OK for Republicans to continue gerrymandering their way to victory:

The 5 to 4 decision was written by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and joined by the court’s other conservatives. “We conclude that partisan gerrymandering claims present political questions beyond the reach of the federal courts.,” Roberts wrote. “Federal judges have no license to reallocate political power between the two major political parties, with no plausible grant of authority in the Constitution, and no legal standards to limit and direct their decisions.”

I’m sure we’re all shocked by this, aren’t we? But don’t worry: if Democrats ever start winning the gerrymandering wars, I’m sure that Roberts will suddenly decide to look a little harder for a plausible grant of authority in the Constitution. In the meantime, this will continue to represent a far more genuine threat to democracy than anything the Russians do.

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