Supreme Court Appears Closely Divided Over Texas District Maps

Style Magazine Newswire | 4/27/2018, 7:13 a.m.
The Supreme Court was sharply divided on Tuesday as the justices considered a lower court opinion that invalidated congressional and …

Source: Houston Public Media

The Supreme Court was sharply divided on Tuesday as the justices considered a lower court opinion that invalidated congressional and statehouse maps in Texas, holding that they discriminated against minority voters. Last fall, in an early indication that the case could break down along ideological lines, the justices split 5-4 and voted to freeze the lower court opinion while the court considered the case. While the district court had issued a ruling invalidating the districts it had not yet taken the final step of telling the state how to redraw the maps. Lawyers for Texas say the maps should stand, particularly because they were imposed by the court and adopted by the legislature. Lawyers for the challengers emphasized that when the district court allowed the maps back in 2012, it was simply a preliminary ruling before an impending election. The ruling in the case is due by late June, but Douglas points out that in 2020, after the next census, states will have to once again redraw lines.

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