Democrats Pour Millions into a Campaign to Fight GOP Redistricting
Unveiled in January by Eric Holder, the PAC will use legal, political and high technology tools.
North Carolina Strikes Out a Fifth Time at the Supreme Court Over Redistricting
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down the latest redistricting plan from North Carolina on Monday, holding that the state Legislature had impermissibly used race in the redistricting process for two congressional districts.
GOP Legislature in Wisconsin Calls Redistricting Ruling Dangerous
It "would extinguish any last hope for state autonomy"and make federal lawsuits unavoidable.
Dems Could Win in Supreme Court Case on Wisconsin Gerrymandering
Last November, a federal district court agreed with the suit, and struck down the legislative districts.
Maryland to Pennsylvania (and Four Other States): We’ll Redistrict When You Do
The idea is that six states would even each other out — some would go more red, others more blue.
Dems Add Another Group to Lead Redistricting Court Battles
Targets include Michigan, New Hampshire, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and New Mexico.
Judge Rules that Texas City Discriminated
"When people claim that the Voting Rights Act was ‘gutted,’ the Pasadena case demonstrates they aren’t telling the truth.” -- J. Christian Adams
Crucial Texas Voting Case to Be Heard
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 26, 2015) -- The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a challenge to states giving more political power to areas with high illegal alien populations. In a brief filed in March, the (ACRU) argued that Texas and a U.S. District Court erred in approving state senate districts based on "total population" rather than on eligible citizen voters. "Total population" includes illegal aliens. Counting non-voters, including illegal aliens, when assessing the size of senate districts, gives citizens living in areas with high numbers of illegal aliens more senate seats than areas with mostly U.S. citizens, the ACRU says in the brief, filed on behalf of the plaintiffs in Evenwel and Pfenninger v. Abbott et al. The ACRU brief notes that even the United States Department of Justice uses only citizen population in allocating legislative seats in redistricting litigation. "The current Texas method violates the one-man, one-vote concept that ensures fair elections," said ACRU President Susan A. Carleson. "We're pleased that the Court is taking the case."
No. 3 Democrat: Voter ID Laws Helped Killer Cop Gun Down Victim
Did you know that voter-ID cards caused last week's police-involved shooting of an unarmed black man? This incredible revelation comes courtesy of the No. 3 Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives, James Clyburn of South Carolina. Responding to the five bullets that North Charleston police officer Michael Slager fatally fired into the back of a black man named Walter Scott, Mr. Clyburn blamed this bloody mess on none other than the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and its work for ballot integrity. The U.S. House Assistant Minority Leader, Mr. Clyburn explained to "Hardball" host Chris Matthews, thanks to "ALEX [sic] . . . a climate has been created in the country that's causing these things to occur all over." Clyburn continued: They have drawn up these legislations [sic], pieces of legislation like stand your ground, that legislation gives a license for people to be vigilantes. They are the ones that are drawing up all of these, uh, so-called voter-ID laws. They are the ones that have been drawing up these unfair redistricting plans. These people are a cancer eating at the inners [sic] of our society. So, photo-ID requirements are not just disenfranchising blacks who, supposedly, are incapable of possessing or even requesting them before they visit the polls. Now, voter ID is responsible for gunning down a black man.
Supreme Court Deals a Blow to Racial Redistricting
The Supreme Court has dealt a heavy blow to efforts -- often by the Republican Party -- to draw legislative districts that pack black voters into majority black legislative districts in order to elect black representatives. In a case decided today arising out of Alabama state legislative plans, the Supreme Court held that the Voting Rights Act does not require the preservation and protection of legislative districts with percentages of black voters designed to produce black elected officials. Republicans and black politicians often argue that the Voting Rights Act requires line drawers to preserve proportional black representation by creating districts where black candidates are sure to win election. These plans help Republicans by bleaching out surrounding areas helping to elect Republicans. Instead, the Court ruled that what must be preserved is the "ability to elect" minority preferred candidates of choice -- who need not necessarily be minority candidates themselves. This means legislatures can dip below numeric thresholds which create majority black districts, and not necessarily offend the Voting Rights Act.