You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
More court cases impacting fair voting districts today. In Florida, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis recently vetoed the legislature’s Congressional District map so he could move forward his own. The DeSantis map disassembles a predominately Black district in northern Florida. The lawsuit argues that the map, approved by the legislature just last week, violates the Fair Districts amendment to the Florida constitution, and is biased toward Republicans.
In New York, an appeals court overturned a trial court decision upholding Congressional voting maps the Democratic legislature drew, bypassing New York’s citizen-led independent redistricting commission. The appellate court said the legislature’s maps were biased toward Democrats. The case was heard April 26 in the New York Supreme Court and a decision is pending.
In Kansas, a state trial court judge threw out that legislature’s Congressional map, deciding, in a 200 page opinion, that it was an extreme partisan gerrymander that would give Republicans all four Congressional seats, and dilute minority voting strength. The judge directed that new maps be constructed as expediently as possible.
Visit our website at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org, or for more information on redistricting lawsuits around the country, visit the League of Women Voters website, LWV.org.
Granny D said, “Democracy is not something we HAVE, it’s something we DO.”
For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.