Judicial Watch: Supremes Order New Review of State Districts
In swift consequence of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last week that North Carolina’s Congressional districts map was based on an unconstitutionally race-based gerrymander, that Court has ordered another review of NC’s state legislative districts as well.
The case in which this occurred, Dickson v. Rucho, was one of a list of cases sent back down for new review “in light of Cooper.” The case in Dickson was appealed from the N.C. Supreme Court, which had concluded last year that the state’s legislative districts passed constitutional standards.
Observers now anticipate that the N.C. Supreme Court may issue a very different ruling in the case on remand. That’s partly because of the new U.S. Supreme Court precedent and partly because the NC Supreme Court’s own composition has changed. Newly-elected state Supreme Court Justice Michael Morgan is believed to be more inclined to concur with arguments against the legality of the state legislative districts.
Under the state legislative district map currently in effect, the vast majority of districts are so unbalanced in party registration that very few are competitive in the general election. This “gerrymandered” distortion makes it tough to convince skeptical legislators that they should listen to public concerns about public health and environmental quality. Since they know that they are highly favored to win re-election, they often find little incentive to worry about public criticism outside their own party base.
Conservation advocates in North Carolina continue to emphasize that our chances of holding legislators accountable for their votes on environmental and public health matters are far stronger in competitive elections. That’s why competitive, non-gerrymandered legislative district maps are so important.
