North Carolina Court Says Its Republican-Drawn Districts Are Illegally Gerrymandered

In a massive 357-page opinion a North Carolina Court has struck down their state's legislative districts as partisan gerrymanders. New districts are ordered to be in place for 2020 elections.  

This is the same North Carolina state legislature controlled by Republicans who held a surprise vote to jam through savage budget cuts WHILE DEMOCRATS WERE AT 9/11 CEREMONIES.  REPUBLICANS.....

North Carolina’s state legislative maps are so severely gerrymandered to benefit Republicans that they violate the state’s Constitution, a panel of three judges ruled Tuesday [9/3/19].  The ruling came in a closely watched case in North Carolina state court.

“Extreme partisan gerrymandering does not fairly and truthfully ascertain the will of the people,” the judges wrote. “Voters are not freely choosing their representatives. Rather, representatives are choosing their voters. It is not the will of the people that is fairly ascertained through extreme partisan gerrymandering. Rather, it is the will of the map drawers that prevails.”

"Voters are not freely choosing their representatives. Rather, representatives are choosing their voters. It is not the will of the people that is fairly ascertained through extreme partisan gerrymandering. Rather, it is the will of the map drawers that prevails," the court says.

State lawmakers have until September 18 to draw new districts.

State lawmakers... won’t be allowed to take into account any data about election results.... also be banned from using the existing maps as a “starting point” as they draw new maps and will be required to draw maps entirely in public view, the court ruled.  Any computer screen the lawmakers use, the court said, has to be fully visible to lawmakers and public observers. 

This is an incredibly significant ruling. After the Supreme Court said federal courts could do nothing to rein in excessive partisan gerrymandering, this is a state court coming forward to take action. Many activists and scholars believe this is a path forward to rein in gerrymandering.

The case carries implications that go beyond North Carolina. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal courts can’t do anything to stop partisan gerrymandering. But activists believe litigation in state courts could offer a way to challenge partisan gerrymandering ― an idea that Tuesday’s ruling seems to bear out.

"We look forward to taking back control of the General Assembly using fair maps next November," North Carolina Democratic Party says in a statement.

Source: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/north-carolina-partisan-gerrymandering_n_5d6ec640e4b0cdfe0576eca5