Supreme Court faces major decision on partisan gerrymandering

[red dog 1]

The Hill
June 17, 2018


The Supreme Court has a big decision to make as it heads into it's final weeks of the term: whether to strike down a voter map for the first time as an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander.

Experts agree it would be a game changer if the court is able to find a way to assess when legislators have gone too far in drawing congressional maps that give their party an edge.

The court has long shied away from policing congressional maps without a clear way to measure how much political bias in redistricting is too much.

Court watchers say Justice Anthony Kennedy, a likely swing vote, has been looking for a standard since 2004 when the court refused to wade into a dispute over Pennsylvania's map.

Kennedy signaled at the time that while the court did not have a clear solution then, one could be found eventually.

"That no such standard has emerged in this case should not be taken to prove that none will emerge in the future," he said.

But it's anyone's guess whether Kennedy and other justices have since settled on a standard.

More:
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/392569-supreme-court-faces-major-decision-on-partisan-gerrymandering

[dhol82]

1. One can hope that the court will be..........rational

Not sure.

[Jake Stern]

2. Worried

that the Roberts court finds a way to uphold Wisconsin's gerrymandering thereby handing Dems a defeat while striking down Maryland's gerrymandering giving Republicans a victory.

Those conservatives are a bunch of crafty bastards.

[red dog 1]

4. My guess is that's exactly what those 5 bastards will do

With Kennedy as the "swing vote"......but I hope I'm wrong. [I often am]

[budkin]

3. Predicting 5-4 in favor of keeping the map

Gorsuch writes for the majority about the glory of America.

[bluestarone]

5. My thoughts as well!!

[red dog 1]

6. I, too, predict a 5-4 vote

It will go whichever way Justice Kennedy votes.
I hope & pray that, for once, he votes for the benefit of the 99 percent, which means the Wisconsin gerrymandering map should be thrown out

[red dog 1]

7. Were it not for that rat bastard McTurtle, the deciding vote would be made by Justice Garland,

not Gorsuch, [or Kennedy]

I can't wait for November 6 to arrive .[less than 5 months from now].

[DeminPennswoods]

8. There are many computer algorithms now that can

quickly assess current maps and proposed maps and give them a score as to compactness, partisanship and so on. I think Kennedy will be able to find something to his liking.

When the PA state supreme court threw out our congressional map, they gave the state legislature and governor a very short time frame to complete a new map. The Rs whined and cried, but at the last minute drew up a new map which the court rejected. The court then drew and released a new map with a day or so.

[Lucky Luciano]

9. Why do we always say Kennedy is the swing vote?

He usually sides with the Reich in important cases.