Reuters: "US Supreme Court under Roberts takes 'wrecking ball' to Voting Rights Act"

Originally Posted by James Lacey

In most states, the state legislature controls redistricting, and, as we all know, that often leads to partisan redistricting. Until redistricting is taken out of the hands of state legislatures and replaced with an independent or bipartisan method universally employed, redistricting political battles are inevitable. I guess that, over time, redistricting will once again reach a steady state that is not too different from what we have now. Let the redistricting wars commence! And I hope that both parties play hardball, which is the only way to level the playing field currently.

"In most states, the state legislature controls redistricting, and, as we all know, that often leads to partisan redistricting. Until redistricting is taken out of the hands of state legislatures"

Actually, it's been enabled by SCOTUS (and currently utilized by the southern states on steroids) as this reporting in TheHill details:


"Supreme Court VRA ruling encourages new redistricting..."

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5860114-redistricting-battle-states-midterms/

For an opinion on the matter:     https://www.youtube.com/shorts/V2ho_o85qGM

Concurrently, and while in took awhile for reality to sink in, "Most Americans say Trump is mentally, physically unfit to serve effectively: Poll"

"A new poll found that most Americans say they believe President Trump is mentally and physically unfit to serve as commander in chief."

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5862406-trump-mental-fitness-physical-health-poll/

The cons on the court are even speeding up the process for the Republicans in Louisiana:

"The Supreme Court on Monday immediately put into effect its ruling invalidating Louisiana’s congressional map, leaving conservative Justice Samuel Alito sparring with liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson in dissent."

"The order speeds up the normal 32-day timeline before the justices formally return a case to the lower court."

"Some groups questioned if the lower court had jumped the gun in the Louisiana case when it moved quickly to ensure state Republicans would have an opportunity to draw a new map before conducting this year’s election. Technically, the case remained with the justices."

"The justices gave no guidance, however, on whether the state should redraw its map before this year’s midterms, although the high court has previously ruled that changes to elections should be avoided too close to the actual date of an election. "

"In dissent, Jackson said the majority “unshackles itself” from “constraints.”


https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5863197-supreme-court-alito-jackson-louisiana-map/

" Amid raucous protests Thursday, Republicans in Tennessee enacted a new U.S. House map that carves up a majority-Black district in Memphis"

" Republican leadership quickly adjourned the special session, sending the new map on to Republican Gov. Bill Lee, who promptly signed it into law."

"The Supreme Court ruled that Louisiana relied too heavily on race when creating a second Black-majority House district as it attempted to comply with federal law. The high court’s decision altered a decades-old understanding of the law, giving Republicans grounds to try to eliminate majority-Black districts that have elected Democrats."

https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-congress-voting-rights-trump-33d3a24a63aeb1a0b3702d362e1325c9

It's about time all these districts should be ruled by Republicans, don't ya think?!

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

It's about time all these districts should be ruled by Republicans, don't ya think?!

How can you say this with any sense of self reflection when you voted yes on Prop 50?

Originally Posted by James Brown

How can you say this with any sense of self reflection when you voted yes on Prop 50?

Lol! Er, ah, the redistricting measure in California was passed by the voters actually voting on it, unlike those in the Republican states who enacted it after a call from Trump, and without any approval from the voters to do so. Virginia's voter-approved redistricting measure was overruled by their state supreme court on a "procedural" technicality by a 4-3 vote. Republican states don't even get the chance to vote on it in the first place! 

You asked if I shed a tear over the California central valley farmers who, in your view, will be disportionately represented by Democrats instead of Republicans. No, I don't shed a tear about 'em for a couple of reasons: First, you apparently have it in your head that these are Ma & Pa farmers in overalls holding a pitchfork and a shovel as they till the land in an old tractor. The reality is these farming areas are being run by the big combines and corporate entities. Second, the voting rights act was enacted so african americans could actually vote and vote for the representation that they felt best represented their interests and that was based upon the reality that they couldn't vote at all and many of them in the red states couldn't do so until the 1970s. So your  argument about so-called rural farmers in central california being supposed victims in all of this is specious at best...