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Americans’ reckoning with their own democracy extends beyond the looming presidential election to a much more local level.
There are new details about how the conservative-dominated US Supreme Court issued its most unexpected decision of the past year and threw out Alabama’s congressional map, part of a secret negotiation between Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Read that incredible behind-the-scenes reporting from CNN’s Joan Biskupic.
Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, the inverse is occurring – lawmakers who enjoy a majority thanks to gerrymandered state-level districts are keen on throwing out a liberal state Supreme Court justice even though she took the bench last month after being elected to a 10-year term.
State and federal courts are hearing challenges to maps across the country, which could have a major impact on the coming election and help determine who controls Congress.
Also this week:
- A federal court has also thrown into question the congressional map drawn by Republicans that helped them gain seats in Florida.
- There’s a trial over congressional maps underway in Georgia.
The selective drawing of legislative district maps during periods of redistricting after the US census every 10 years – colloquially known as gerrymandering – is a practice that has been the subject of political and court fights for most of the country’s history. The Supreme Court has said partisan gerrymandering done for political reasons is not its concern, but this year it reaffirmed that racial gerrymandering that keeps minorities shut out of the power structure is not allowed.
An endless series of adjustments has sought to address the issue of gerrymandering. These have ranged from…
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