Does this apply to the PA one?
No surprise here. The drawing of Congressional Districts is the province of the State legislatures.
The worst possible outcome would be to give the power of political districts to the courts or (even worse), a “non partisan” panel. At least with the acts of Legislature, the voters have a remedy, called an election. This nonsense of sanctioned gerrymander to give a favored racial class has to end. Both political parties and their professional politicians endorse this because it can benefit their party and certain politicians who are granted an office for life. The voters, however, are screwed.
The question is: can states adopt laws that constrain the Legislature? For example, can you mandate a process that is based on existing political boundaries (county, city, township, precinct) and that forces a district that has a mathematical compact shape.
Repealing the ill-conceived 17th Amendment would put a major dent in reducing problems associated with political parties and voting district maps imo.
The 16th Amendment can disappear too.
Have you seen the Maryland map? If the Supreme Court won’t overturn that, they’re not going to anything about gerrymandering anywhere, anytime. MD-3 and MD-2 are particularly egregious. Even the most influential black political committee in the state, the Fannie Lou Hamer PAC, was opposed to this disaster.
All the more reason to re-elect Governor Hogan. Having a Republican governor will rein in the Democrats a bit on the next redistricting.
“It’s ‘gerrymandering’ when *they* do it” :-)
Old saying, dating back to early/mid 1800’s.
Both sides do it every chance they can as effectively as they can. Always have, always will, regardless of left or right.
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
Good news!!
Not sure if this sites bias.
http://www.scotusblog.com/2018/06/symposium-no-closer-to-consensus/#more-271445