Yesterday, in a 7-2 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily stayed the decision by a three-judge panel that struck down North Carolina’s newest Congressional map (Common Cause v. Rucho).
On January 9, a panel of judges struck down North Carolina’s relatively new congressional districts maintaining that they were partisan gerrymanders. The Fourth Circuit had ordered the legislature to draw a new Congressional map by January 24. At the same time, the court said that it would appoint a “Special Master” to draw the same map.
The districts in question are the congressional districts redrawn in February 2016 after a panel of judges had ruled that the Republican majority had relied too heavily on race when they drew the 1st and 12th congressional districts in 2011. The 2011 congressional map had been approved by the U.S. Justice Department and the North Carolina Supreme Court and used in the 2012 and 2014 elections. The 2016 map was used in the 2016 Primary and General Election.
The appointment of a “Special Master” in this case would have come on the heels of a “Special Master” being appointed to draw the new legislative maps in Covington v. North Carolina. A different three-judge panel hired an outside “expert” from Stanford University to redraw North Carolina’s legislative districts in October 2016. The appointment of “Special Masters” appear to be an attempt to force a so-called non-partisan redistricting process on our state. (Covington v. North Carolina is an ongoing case, click here for a timeline for some of North Carolina’s current redistricting lawsuits)
Interesting to note, there is one common denominator in the two Federal panels (Covington v. North Carolina and Common Cause v. Rucho) calling for outsiders to draw North Carolina’s districts – Judge James Wynn sits on both panels. He also was a member of the three-judge panel that struck down the congressional districts in 2016. It seems Wynn is assigned to a lot of cases that involve North Carolina election laws. In fact Ed Whelan, writing for the National Review Online made that same observation in a December 2016 article titled Fishy Panel Assignments in North Carolina Election Cases.
Yesterday’s decision, while considered temporary, increases the likelihood that the current congressional map (the 2016 version) will be used in this year’s elections.
I wonder why this was not a problem when the Gimmedat Party was doing it for years?I also wonder why you have to have an I.D. Card in Florida to vote but it’s illegal in North Carolina?
Larry with his “they did it first” explanation. Larry never learned what we teach in Kindergarten: Two wrongs do not make a Right. Poor Immoral Lad. He has no principles.
Dear confused,you don’t seem to know your name,do you know your gender?I guess in your tiny mind it’s only right if it’s the Gimmedats doing it.Why don’t you comment on why you have to have I.D. to vote in Florida and the Gimmedat courts said it’s not legal in N.C.?Thats really funny that a pimp and a baby killer would talk about my morals.
Reason you need ID in Florida?? Because Florida is an internal colony / prison state. Florida is the crotch of the Bible Belt. Florida?? My kin used to run cattle off Punta Gorda to feed the Troops that you defend. SAD. #takethosemonumentsdown
#removethoseabominations
#pseudohistoryisnothistory
What do you want to discuss next, my favorite color?
“calling for outsiders”
What exactly is Civitas afraid of?
Jack Scott,You are always telling me how I hate People.After your rant about Florida and Republicans,Democrats,Civitas,me,and anybody that doesn’t believe in big government or killing their babies.Oh yeah, and white people I would say you have to be the biggest hater on the planet.You are one sick puppy.The rant on the people of Florida because they think that voters should have an I.D. Just shows how sick you are.Get help.
I don’t know what Civitas is afraid of, but I’m afraid that Jack just might be teaching kindergarten.
Jane,that is scary.