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Supreme Court denies stay in Pa. gerrymandering case

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Supreme Court denies stay in Pa. gerrymandering case | TheHill

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito denied Republican requests Monday to delay a Pennsylvania state court ruling requiring that the state’s congressional voter map be redrawn before the 2018 midterms.The decision comes as both parties are gear up for the midterm elections. Pennsylvania, traditionally a reliably Democratic state, became a fierce battleground in the 2016 presidential election, narrowly going to President Trump.
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Not too surprising. I figured this is what it would have to be. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court made their ruling entirely on the state constitution and the SCOTUS ruled three years ago in Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission that the "Nothing in that Clause instructs, nor has the Court ever held, that a state legislature may prescribe regulations on the time, place, and manner of holding federal elections in defiance of provisions of the State’s constitution."
 
GOOD!

Justice gets the win!


I would have preferred this go to SCOTUS and the pro-gerrymander people lose AGAIN to start setting up even MORE national precedence on this issue but since its my home state ill take the win from my states supreme court :)




https://www.npr.org/2018/02/05/5833...nia-must-redraw-congressional-maps-in-10-days
In blow to GOP, U.S. Supreme Court to allow Pennsylvania redistricting | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
In blow to GOP, Supreme Court won't block PA redistricting - News - The Times-Tribune
https://www.wsj.com/articles/suprem...ssional-map-in-gerrymandering-case-1517853247
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/05/us/politics/supreme-court-pennsylvania-gerrymandering.html
https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/05/politics/supreme-court-pennsylvania-redistricting/index.html
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/na...ongressional-Map-Supreme-Court-472775203.html
 
Anagram said:
Supreme Court denies stay in Pa. gerrymandering case | TheHill



Not too surprising. I figured this is what it would have to be. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court made their ruling entirely on the state constitution and the SCOTUS ruled three years ago in Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission that the "Nothing in that Clause instructs, nor has the Court ever held, that a state legislature may prescribe regulations on the time, place, and manner of holding federal elections in defiance of provisions of the State’s constitution."
Click to expand...

Right on. Now for the many more states gerrymanding the crap out of their constituents.
 
I was very worried that a Gorsuch court was about to break history and protect the PA GOP.
Looks like my worries were unfounded.
Supreme Court of the US never intervenes on such state-oriented issues.
They make it a point not to.

Look, we got beat when the SCOTUS ruled on Citizens United, bludgeoned when they gutted the Voting Rights Act, and we're stuck with the Electoral College, at least for now and for the foreseeable future.
But there is no universe where democracy survives where one party gets to have the EC + CU + gerrymandering + gutting the Voting Rights Act.

Personally I think they should be forced to pick ONE and ONLY one.
 
Last edited:
Anagram said:
Supreme Court denies stay in Pa. gerrymandering case | TheHill



Not too surprising. I figured this is what it would have to be. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court made their ruling entirely on the state constitution and the SCOTUS ruled three years ago in Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission that the "Nothing in that Clause instructs, nor has the Court ever held, that a state legislature may prescribe regulations on the time, place, and manner of holding federal elections in defiance of provisions of the State’s constitution."
Click to expand...

This has all the important election dates for PA. Notice that General Election Registration ends on 10/09.
http://www.dos.pa.gov/VotingElectio...gforOffice/Documents/2018 important dates.pdf
linked from The Green Papers: United States Midterm Election 2018

This means that candidates currently running for those 18 CDs in 2018 have no idea what CD they're going to be in.
Who are their voters? Where do they campaign? Do they have to live in their new CD?

Data miners have to redo POTUS vote by CD in PA gain, a common problem this decade with all the maps being thrown out.
PA already has three to five CDs in play here, making this map high-stakes ...
 
AGENT J said:
GOOD!

Justice gets the win!


I would have preferred this go to SCOTUS and the pro-gerrymander people lose AGAIN to start setting up even MORE national precedence on this issue but since its my home state ill take the win from my states supreme court :)




https://www.npr.org/2018/02/05/5833...nia-must-redraw-congressional-maps-in-10-days
In blow to GOP, U.S. Supreme Court to allow Pennsylvania redistricting | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
In blow to GOP, Supreme Court won't block PA redistricting - News - The Times-Tribune
https://www.wsj.com/articles/suprem...ssional-map-in-gerrymandering-case-1517853247
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/05/us/politics/supreme-court-pennsylvania-gerrymandering.html
https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/05/politics/supreme-court-pennsylvania-redistricting/index.html
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/na...ongressional-Map-Supreme-Court-472775203.html
Click to expand...

I hope you guys aren't being premature about this. The SCOTUS is harder right than it was with Scalia, and these days "harder right" just means Republican Party oriented activism couched in cutsie "originalist" language.
 
<alt>doxygen said:
I hope you guys aren't being premature about this. The SCOTUS is harder right than it was with Scalia, and these days "harder right" just means Republican Party oriented activism couched in cutsie "originalist" language.
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The SCOTUS is no more harder right than Scalia. Scalia CONSTANTLY voted on the right. His replacement is no more different. Next SCOTUS member to retire or pass away, the Dems (when they get back congress) should fight Trump tooth and nail and wait until the 2020 election to replace that person. The Republicans were nothing but snakes in that regard.
 
Supreme Court denies stay in Pa. gerrymandering case
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good. political gerrymandering should be banned in every state. the downside is that this was more of a PA state constitutional issue, so i doubt that it will do much to stop the cheating in other states. that would require a SCOTUS decision that tosses out the practice of gerrymandering everywhere.
 
Praxas said:
The SCOTUS is no more harder right than Scalia. Scalia CONSTANTLY voted on the right. His replacement is no more different. Next SCOTUS member to retire or pass away, the Dems (when they get back congress) should fight Trump tooth and nail and wait until the 2020 election to replace that person. The Republicans were nothing but snakes in that regard.
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I disagree. I think Thomas is well to the right of where Scalia was. You have to read his output. He seems to want to return to 1820-1865 - overturn anything that happened since. It's kind of like discussing whether 99% is farther than 95% though. At that far off in the weeds, it really doesn't matter.
 
<alt>doxygen said:
I disagree. I think Thomas is well to the right of where Scalia was. You have to read his output. He seems to want to return to 1820-1865 - overturn anything that happened since. It's kind of like discussing whether 99% is farther than 95% though. At that far off in the weeds, it really doesn't matter.
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Ok for a specific example list something that Scalia would have voted on the left with that Thomas wouldn’t.
 
Praxas said:
Ok for a specific example list something that Scalia would have voted on the left with that Thomas wouldn’t.
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This concurring opinion is the one that got me. Scalia would not join him. Thomas was too far out:
https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Doub...his+justice's+church-state+views.-a0119952059

Scalia likes to talk in court and write opinions. Thomas wrote but didn't talk. That's probably why Scalia got publicity, he actually enjoyed creating outrage.

That's not a vote, per se, but it speaks to Thomas' position.
 
AGENT J said:
GOOD!

Justice gets the win!


I would have preferred this go to SCOTUS and the pro-gerrymander people lose AGAIN to start setting up even MORE national precedence on this issue but since its my home state ill take the win from my states supreme court :)




https://www.npr.org/2018/02/05/5833...nia-must-redraw-congressional-maps-in-10-days
In blow to GOP, U.S. Supreme Court to allow Pennsylvania redistricting | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
In blow to GOP, Supreme Court won't block PA redistricting - News - The Times-Tribune
https://www.wsj.com/articles/suprem...ssional-map-in-gerrymandering-case-1517853247
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/05/us/politics/supreme-court-pennsylvania-gerrymandering.html
https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/05/politics/supreme-court-pennsylvania-redistricting/index.html
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/na...ongressional-Map-Supreme-Court-472775203.html
Click to expand...

There was a recent ruling by the USSC on North Carolina that went 5-3 with the 9th Justice vacant for arguments.
I haven't looked at the court messes there and in Wisconsin lately.
Justice Thomas crossed over to side with the 4 DEM appointees, ruling against 'racial gerrymandering' ...
 
<alt>doxygen said:
This concurring opinion is the one that got me. Scalia would not join him. Thomas was too far out:
https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Doub...his+justice's+church-state+views.-a0119952059

Scalia likes to talk in court and write opinions. Thomas wrote but didn't talk. That's probably why Scalia got publicity, he actually enjoyed creating outrage.

That's not a vote, per se, but it speaks to Thomas' position.
Click to expand...

Actually it looks like Scalia would agree with Thomas there:

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2016/01/04/scal-j04.html

Either way I think the end result of Thomas and Scalia would be the same. They are both far right imo.
 
Praxas said:
Actually it looks like Scalia would agree with Thomas there:

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2016/01/04/scal-j04.html

Either way I think the end result of Thomas and Scalia would be the same. They are both far right imo.
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Yeah, I've seen things like that. But he didn't join Thomas. There were a few other cases I've read like that. As I said, it isn't much of a difference, both are far right judges. I just think Thomas is a little more regressive.

He married a white woman. Maybe he will overturn Loving v. VA.
 
NIMBY said:
There was a recent ruling by the USSC on North Carolina that went 5-3 with the 9th Justice vacant for arguments.
I haven't looked at the court messes there and in Wisconsin lately.
Justice Thomas crossed over to side with the 4 DEM appointees, ruling against 'racial gerrymandering' ...
Click to expand...

I "think" theres been a couple but the scope of them have been limited or specific like you said "race"
 
Democrats' chances of winning back the House just got a major boost

Republicans have controlled the line-drawing process in Pennsylvania for the last two decades. That control has created a congressional map that heavily favors Republicans -- they control 13 seats to the Democrats' five -- despite the fact that the state is a Democratic leaning one.

"The plan ruthlessly sewed the state, particularly the Philadelphia suburbs, into a crazy quilt," reads the Almanac of American Politics on the map. "Montgomery County, about the population of one district, was split five ways to boost three suburban Republicans, who were happy to feed their trickiest inner suburbs to Philadelphia's Democrats."

A look at the 2016 presidential results bears that point out. The 6th, 7th and 8th districts -- all of which encompass the Philadelphia suburbs -- are held by Republicans but were won by Hillary Clinton in the election. Even slight tweaks to those seats would make it close to impossible for one -- or more than one -- of these seats to be held by Republicans.​
 
Absolutely shameful...

Judge Failed To Disclose Donation From GOP Defendant In Gerrymandering Suit

A Republican Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice failed to disclose a $25,000 campaign donation from a top Republican lawmaker who is a defendant in a lawsuit challenging the state’s congressional map as an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander.

Mundy was one of two GOP justices who disagreed when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court majority struck down the state’s congressional map in January and ordered a new one.​

Disagreed.... just like she was paid by the GOP to do. Fortunately, the GOP didn't buy enough judges in this case.
 
More GOP foot stomping when they don't get their way.

Pennsylvania Republican wants to impeach judges in gerrymandering case

Faced with a Friday deadline to redraw the state's congressional maps, Pennsylvania Republicans are instead insisting they'll continue to fight against the state Supreme Court -- with one lawmaker calling for justices' impeachment.

State Rep. Cris Dush circulated a letter to House colleagues Monday urging the ouster of five justices who ruled that the legislature must redraw Pennsylvania's gerrymandered maps.

"The five Justices who signed this order that blatantly and clearly contradicts the plain language of the Pennsylvania Constitution, engaged in misbehavior in office," a memo from Dush read. "Each is guilty of an impeachable offense warranting removal from office and disqualification to hold any office or trust or profit under this Commonwealth."​
 
And the fight goes on... for at least one more day.

Pennsylvania Governor Rejects GOP Proposal For New Congressional Map

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) rejected top Republicans’ proposal for a new congressional map in his state Tuesday, saying the plan continued to be an unacceptable partisan gerrymander.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court struck down the state’s current congressional map in January, saying it so unfairly gave the GOP an advantage in the state that it violated Pennsylvania’s constitution. The court gave Republicans and the governor until Feb. 15 to agree on a map, but said it would draw a map on its own if they could not reach an agreement.​

One day to agree. Then the courts draw the districts.
 
Anagram said:
Supreme Court denies stay in Pa. gerrymandering case | TheHill



Not too surprising. I figured this is what it would have to be. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court made their ruling entirely on the state constitution and the SCOTUS ruled three years ago in Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission that the "Nothing in that Clause instructs, nor has the Court ever held, that a state legislature may prescribe regulations on the time, place, and manner of holding federal elections in defiance of provisions of the State’s constitution."
Click to expand...

Yup the GOP is in for a shock come Nov.
 
yankintx said:
Yup the GOP is in for a shock come Nov.
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Dems had better hope. The 2018 elections are the most important in a decade and it's not even a presidential election year. Those elected in 2018 state houses will be using the 2020 Census that decides all the state and federal congressional districts will be drawn for the next decade.
 
poweRob said:
Dems had better hope. The 2018 elections are the most important in a decade and it's not even a presidential election year. Those elected in 2018 state houses will be using the 2020 Census that decides all the state and federal congressional districts will be drawn for the next decade.
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I believe the GOP is going to loose there majority. America wants Trump held in check.
 
Right now turn out is key. Just gotta keep the grass roots efforts going.
Keeping things more local than national.
 
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