NC Supreme Court Strikes Down Gerrymandered State Senate Map
An update from our friends at All On the Line – NC:
“The North Carolina Supreme Court struck down the remedial NC Senate map as a partisan gerrymander in an opinion handed down Friday afternoon. Rather than order the map entirely redrawn, they sent it back to the state trial court with instructions to modify the map only as much as necessary to meet constitutional scrutiny. The court affirmed the remedial NC House map, which will now be in place for the remainder of the decade.
“The Harper v. Hall decision also affirmed the trial court’s implementation of the remedial congressional map (the one that was used just for 2022). Because that map was drawn by the court, it will be be redrawn in 2023. But this ruling could influence the outcome of Moore v. Harper, a federal appeal of Harper v. Hall that will be decided by the Supreme Court of the United States. In the ruling the North Carolina Supreme Court clarified its role under state law as a check over the state legislature when it comes to redistricting, and, as a result, the Supreme Court of the United States will have to be held to that interpretation as it comes to a decision in Moore v. Harper.
“This is great news for our democracy and our system of checks and balances! We will take this win and keep fighting for Fair Maps in North Carolina.”
To learn more:
- NC Supreme Court strikes down state senate map, voter ID law. Republican lawmakers plan to revisit both issues next year (WRAL, Bryan Anderson and Travis Fain: December 16, 2022)
- North Carolina Supreme Court strikes down voter ID, upholds new electoral maps (Fox8, Steve Doyle: December 16, 2022)
- N.C Court strikes down voter ID law as intentional racial discrimination (Washington Post, Eugene Scott, Azi Paybarah and Amy Gardner: December 16, 2022)