The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for May 29, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Back in October 2023, U.S. Supreme Court justices heard oral arguments to determine whether redistricting by the South Carolina legislature was prohibited racial gerrymandering, or political gerrymandering, allowed by the 2019 Rucho decision.   The new opinion could have a dramatic effect on the 2030 redistricting cycle. 

Last October, justices heard arguments on whether a circuit court erred when rejecting South Carolina’s Congressional district maps in January 2023.  South Carolina’s legislature split Charleston by moving 30,000 residents from 11 of 12 of the highest concentrations of Black voters into another district, in the words of the lower court, “bleaching” Congressional District 1.  

The South Carolina legislature freely admits it gerrymandered for PARTISAN advantage, but disputes that it did so for RACIAL discrimination reasons.  During  oral arguments and in his opinion, Justice Alito questioned why the South Carolina NAACP provided no alternate maps showing how adjustments could have been made without moving those communities.  In the May 23rd 6-3 opinion, conservative justices concurred with Alito’s opinion that the NAACP did NOT prove that the shifts were done to dilute Black voting power.   

In her dissent, Justice Kagan writes, “What a message to send to state legislators and mapmakers about racial gerrymandering. For reasons I’ve addressed, those actors will often have an incentive to use race

as a proxy to achieve partisan ends.”   

We’ve linked to the decision and dissent at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
American Democracy Minute – U.S. Supreme Court Majority Skeptical of Racial Gerrymandering Claims in South Carolina Case, Cites Lack of “Alternative Map Requirement”
U.S. Supreme Court – Opinion & Dissent in Alexander v. South Carolina Conference of the NAACP
Democracy Docket – US Supreme Court Upholds South Carolina Congressional Map, Dismantles Racial Gerrymandering Precedent
SCOTUS Blog – Court rules for South Carolina Republicans in dispute over congressional map

Groups Taking Action:
NAACP Legal Defense Fund, ACLU, Constitutional Accountability Center, Campaign Legal Center, League of Women Voters

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #RacialGerrymandering #VotingRightsAct #USSupremeCourt #SCOTUS

The post U.S. Supreme Court Finds South Carolina Gerrymandering Case ‘Bleaching’ Congressional District Not Racially Motivated appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

Listen! https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/americandemocracyminute/episodes/2022-06-14T07_42_38-07_00

Links for Today:
Articles:   Washington Post:  “Appeals court lifts hold on Louisiana congressional remap”  AP:  “Louisiana governor: Special session to draw new Congress map”
Groups taking Action in Louisiana:  Power Coaliltion,  ACLU-LA, League of Women Voters LA

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

A federal appeals court has given voters in Louisiana a break, lifting a lower court stay and forcing the Louisiana legislature to draw new, fairer Congressional voting districts maps which don’t dilute the voting power of majority Black communities.

Back in March, Governor John Bel Edwards vetoed a gerrymandered Congressional map which chopped up majority-Black areas to dilute their vote, but the overwhelmingly Republican legislature overrode the veto.   The Washington Post reports that Bel Edwards argues there should be two majority Black districts out of six, because the state is two-thirds African American.

Lifting the stay may only be temporary good news.  In its statement, the appeals court panel urged a full appeal, citing weakness in proving that the map was a racial gerrymander.  They signaled a willingness to hear the full case in July.

Meanwhile, Bel Edwards last week called a special session of the legislature for June 15th to the 20th to draw new maps.  Louisiana’s Republican secretary of state, Kyle Ardoin, is at odds with his Democratic governor, having argued that the maps weren’t gerrymandered.   Ardoin says he will comply while the ruling is in effect, but it’s unclear whether Louisiana’s legislature will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Links to articles and organizations working on Louisiana’s redistricting are available at AmericanDemocracy Minute.org

Granny D said, “Democracy is not something we have, it’s something we DO.” 

For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.

The post American Democracy Minute for June 15, 2022: Federal Appeals Court Forces New Congressional Map in Louisiana appeared first on American Democracy Minute.