Court rules GOP gerrymandered NC congressional districts

[kallend 1,679]

Ruling states "Republicans in North Carolina’s Legislature had been “motivated by invidious partisan intent”

www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/01/10/576966545/n-c-gerrymandered-map-ruled-unconstitutional-by-panel-of-judges

I am shocked, SHOCKED!

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[TriGirl 278]

The news reports I've been hearing say that this is the "first" gerrymandered state that has been called out. But Florida was redistricted a few years ago by a Republican state congress -- an act that was reversed due to a lawsuit and subsequent court action. What am I missing?

As an aside, I'm still trying to figure out how the US congressman from what at the time was my "new" district, got to avoid having his seat on the ballot that year. The officials at my polling place said that his seat wasn't on the ballot because no one was running against him. I tried to argue that I had the right to write in another candidate. I do believe that was the issue that triggered the lawsuit which got the districts reset to their previous regions.

See the upside, and always wear your parachute! -- Christopher Titus

Shut Up & Jump!

[okalb 79]

TriGirl

The news reports I've been hearing say that this is the "first" gerrymandered state that has been called out. But Florida was redistricted a few years ago by a Republican state congress -- an act that was reversed due to a lawsuit and subsequent court action. What am I missing.

Hi T, I think they are referring to the fact that this is the first time a Federal court has ruled on it.

Time flies like an arrow....fruit flies like a banana

[tkhayes 146]

all parties tend to re-district in their favor, it would appear that the GOP has gotten really really good at it and it is paying off as seen in recent elections with overwhelming popular votes in favor of the 'other candidate' across the country and the GOP still holding majority power.

Not something we are going to fix without a Constitutional amendment (most likely), but States certainly can have an effect on the rules related to it. And of course, the lawsuits seem to work when it is egregious, however, not sure when citizens are going to get pissed off about all the money being spent defending stupid rules and stupid legislation.

This is where I agree with the right wing on ridiculous govt spending to no end and how easy it is to spend other people's money. I wonder what the tax bill was for that....

[TriGirl 278]

Thanks, Oren! That makes sense.

I kind of wish they had kept the change, at least for one election cycle. I was looking forward to that knucklehead Congressman learning how many die-hard Republicans he didnt' have in his new district!

See the upside, and always wear your parachute! -- Christopher Titus

Shut Up & Jump!

[AlanS 1]

kallend

Ruling states "Republicans in North Carolina’s Legislature had been “motivated by invidious partisan intent”

www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/01/10/576966545/n-c-gerrymandered-map-ruled-unconstitutional-by-panel-of-judges

I am shocked, SHOCKED!

So do you think only Republican's gerrymander, or they are some how better at it than Democrat? Gerrymandering is a bipartisan effort and we are going to need non-partisan minded citizens to fight it.

Can Math Detect Gerrymandering?
http://video.unctv.org/video/3005331288/

Reforming our democracy will start with fighting gerrymandering, preventing closed party primaries and allowing for ranked voting of the type that ensures the candidate that is most representative of the voters' wins, instead of forcing voter make a choice between the lesser of the two evils provided by the two party system.

In this modern era, I think we should scrap the party system in favor making candidates state how they would vote on certain issues and let the voters find that candidate that would vote the most like them. Without a tribal party affiliation they will be free to vote more like their district instead of being a rubber stamp for their party.

[gowlerk 1,956]

There is no way to "scrap the party system". The only way to overcome the tendency toward extreme partisanship is for more voters to participate in selection of candidates. Voters have an open invitation to make their choice. Most don't and so they get what they deserve.

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.