Supreme Court rejects GOP arguments against state redistricting [Video]

• The Supreme Court has rejected Republican efforts to block state redistricting in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
• Republicans argued that the new maps will be more favorable to Democrats and would give them more seats.
• The Supreme Court ruled that the new state court-ordered maps will be used in the upcoming congressional elections.

The Supreme Court has rejected Republican efforts to block state court-ordered congressional districting plans in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

According to Republicans, the new maps selected by each state’s Supreme Court are more favorable to Democrats.

The new maps in North Carolina and Pennsylvania will most likely give Democrats additional seats in the House of Representatives after November’s midterm elections.

The judges did not state an explanation for their decision, which is to be expected for such emergency applications.

The high court allowed the state court-drawn maps to take effect in the upcoming elections. However, four conservative justices noted that they wish to discuss the power of state courts over federal elections in the future.

According to the Republicans’ arguments, state courts should lack the authority to question legislatures’ decisions about the electoral process.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh stated that he didn’t want to interfere in this year’s electoral process, which is already underway. In North Carolina, the filing deadline was Friday.

Both states’ legislatures are controlled by Republicans, but their governors are Democrats and their state Supreme Courts have Democratic majorities. Lawsuits over the congressional redistricting led to the involvement of state courts.

The Republican-controlled Legislature in Pennsylvania drew its own plans, but it was vetoed by Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf, who called the plan “partisan.”

The 2020 Census will cause the state to lose a seat in the House. From a previous delegation of nine Democrats and nine Republicans, the new map would most likely lead to nine Democrats and eight Republicans.

When the state courts stepped in, it led to a state court-drawn map that will likely elect 10 Democrats, the Republicans argued.

Meanwhile, population gains in North Carolina will lead to an additional seat.

The state legislature, dominated by Republicans, drew an initial plan that will most likely elect 10 Republican seats and four Democrat seats.

Since the governor does not have veto power, Democrats sued. The state’s high court then drew a map that will likely elect at least six Democrats.

Both states still have ongoing lawsuits.

However, the Supreme Court stated in separate orders on Monday that the new maps will be in effect for this year’s congressional elections in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

Source: USA Today