PA redistricting

The US Supreme Court did not approve a Republican request to put a stay on the new congressional map. Columns like this are spinning it as a win for Democrats but it’s really a win for fairness. On a practical basis, it does help Democrats but that was not the purpose of the map. The intent of the map was to draw representative congressional districts.

The Republicans were unwilling to produce a map that was fair to both parties so the State Supreme Court stepped in. The new map is more favorable for Democrats than the old one but that’s because the old one was so pro-Republican.

I am sure Republicans will continue to protest, with Trump’s approval. If the elections are held under the new map and it helps Democrats take the House, I expect Republicans to challenge the results. Sad!

Gerrymandering status

This is a good summary of the status of election maps in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Maryland and North Carolina.

The Pennsylvania governor rejected the latest map

The Republicans revised their map but it’s still partisan so the governor rejected it. Sad!

Pennsylvania Republicans are still gerrymandering

The new Republican proposal still would result in many more Republicans in Congress than should happen under a fair proposal. I guess the courts will have to settle this one since the Republicans aren’t interested in fairness. Sad!

A history of modern gerrymandering

How the Republicans figured out how to gerrymander congressional districts by winning in state legislative districts in 2010.

The Supreme Court ruled against Pennsylvania gerrymandering

The Supreme Court declined to block a Pennsylvania Supreme Court order to redraw congressional districts.

Here’s a history of how the gerrymandering was accomplished.

The current map developed by Republicans heavily favors them even though the last time before 2016 that the state voted Republican in a presidential race was 1988.

Now the Republicans don’t want to comply with the court order and one representative even wants to impeach the judges!

Sad!

Pennsylvania gerrymandering

The Pennsylvania congressional map has been thrown out by the state supreme court. Now, Pennsylvania Senate President pro tempore Joseph Scarnati won’t comply with a court order to provide data that could be used to make neutral districts. Sad!

Voters are leading efforts to end gerrymandering

This is an excellent article about how voters in several states have initiated efforts to end gerrymandering.

The Pennsylvania congressional district map was thrown out by the state Supreme Court

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court gave the General Assembly until February 9, 2018 to come up with a new map. The court ruled that the current map discriminated against Democrats. Voters are split almost evenly between the two parties but Republicans generally win 13 of the 18 congressional races. Sad!

North Carolina’s congressional map is thrown out for gerrymandering

Judges ruled today that North Carolina’s congressional map was invalid because of Republican gerrymandering. This is great news. It could have long-term implications for the future of gerrymandering. Gerrymandering has been done based on race and based on party. Both parties have done party-based gerrymandering but the Republicans have done more since they control many more state governments.

Votes in the state had been close in votes for governor and president but Republicans have 10 Congress members and Democrats only have three. Here’s what the congressional districts look like.

Their legislative districts had already been determined by the courts to be unconstitutional racial gerrymanders. They concentrated African-American voters in a few districts to reduce their presence in other districts.

Republicans in North Carolina are also trying to gerrymander state judicial districts. Sad!