THE 2010 elections gave Republicans unified control over Wisconsin for the first time in 12 years. Voters chose them resoundingly; when they took office in early 2011, they set out to return the favour. Armed with census data, Republican lawmakers drew districts to maximise their political advantage. In the 2012 elections, Republicans won 48.6% of the vote but took 60 of the state assembly’s 99 seats. In 2014 and 2016, their 52% of the vote got them 63 and 64 seats.
Some Wisconsinites decided this crossed the line from routine partisan activity to something more sinister. They sued the state, arguing that its partisan gerrymander was so extreme that it violated their First Amendment rights to association and free speech and the “one person, one vote” principle enshrined in the Fourteenth Amendment’s equal-protection clause. A federal district court upheld their case in a divided ruling; the state appealed to the United States Supreme Court, which heard arguments on October 3rd.
Gerrymandering is hardly new: the name dates back to an unwieldy district created in 1812 by Elbridge Gerry, then governor of Massachusetts. In most states, the legislature controls redistricting. Six states use independent commissions, and limit or bar elected officials, legislative staff or lobbyists from serving on them. Unsurprisingly, these states seem to draw more...Continue reading
from United States http://ift.tt/2yr9iPt
via https://ifttt.com/ IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment