General Discussion

marmar

(77,077 posts) Fri Jan 20, 2012, 10:38 PM Jan 2012

SCOTUS Orders Texas to Replace Minority-Representative Electoral Maps with Ones That Favor Repugs

via AlterNet:

Supreme Court Orders Texas to Replace Minority-Representative Electoral Maps with Ones That Favor Republicans

The Supreme Court ruled Friday that Texas must throw out new electoral maps drawn to be more representative of minorities, and instead use a districting plan drafted by Republicans. The redistricting of Texas is especially important because, according to the Associated Press, the outcome of the Texas election could swing the entire House of Representatives.

The AP said:

Justices ordered the three-judge court in San Antonio to come up with new plans that pay more attention to maps created by Texas' Republican-dominated state Legislature. All four of the state's new congressional seats, and perhaps control of the House of Representative, could swing based on the outcome.

But the Supreme Court did not compel the use of the state's maps in this year's elections, as Texas wanted. Only Justice Clarence Thomas said he would have gone that far.

Still, the outcome appeared to favor Republicans by instructing the judges to stick more closely to what the Legislature did, said election law expert Richard Hasen, a professor at the University of California, Irvine, law school.

Remapping states to create districts more favorable to Republicans has been a trend this year, as states like Pennsylvania and Ohio pass new electoral maps that give Republicans the advantage. .....................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/764964/supreme_court_orders_texas_to_replace_minority-representative_electoral_maps_with_ones_that_favor_republicans/