Retired Supreme Court Justice Calls For Constitutional Amendment To Prevent Partisan Gerrymandering

[ashling]

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/03/05/3363191/retired-supreme-court-justice-calls-for-constitutional-amendment-to-prevent-partisan-gerrymandering/

Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens has a new book out, in which he proposes six potential amendments to the Constitution — including one to prevent lawmakers from drawing legislative maps intended to entrench their own party in power:
Districts represented by members of Congress, or by members of any state legislative body, shall be compact and composed of contiguous territory. The state shall have the burden of justifying any departures from this requirement by reference to neutral criteria such as natural, political, or historical boundaries or demographic changes. The interest in enhancing or preserving the political power of the party in control of the state government is not such a neutral criterion.
As a practical matter, this (or any other constitutional amendment) is unlikely to be ratified. Amending the Constitution is slightly easier than attempting to catch a unicorn, but really not so much easier that it is likely to matter. Because of the sweeping consensus required to amend the Constitution — even if an amendment bypasses the normal procedure, which requires a 2/3s supermajority in both houses of Congress, it still must be ratified by 3/4s of the states — no amendment can be ratified if either major political party opposes it.

[UTUSN]

1. r7&k nt

[Cha]

2. Thanks ashling~

[jtuck004]

3. Interesting. Thank you.

I like this writing...

"Amending the Constitution is slightly easier than attempting to catch a unicorn, but really not so much easier that it is likely to matter."