North Carolina Supreme Court rehears redistricting case on gerrymandering

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — The North Carolina Supreme Court docket is rehearing a authorized problem relating to redistricting.

It is a pretty uncommon transfer for a court docket to take this motion, however the choice to take action may have a significant impression on future elections.

Of their preliminary choice in February 2022, the court docket dominated the unique maps constituted excessive partisan gerrymandering, violating the state’s structure in a number of other ways.

GOP lawmakers pushed again, arguing the court docket didn’t have standing to mandate new maps.

They pointed to the elections clause within the US Structure, which says state legislatures have authority to resolve time, place, and method of elections.

It is a idea referred to as the unbiased state legislature idea and whereas the US Supreme Court docket rejected an emergency motion to intervene they did conform to take up a associated case, Moore v. Harper, led by NC Home Speaker Tim Moore.

These arguments had been offered to the court docket in December, however simply final month, the NC Supreme Court docket, now with a Republican majority, agreed to re-hear the preliminary case.

“On the coronary heart of this case, it is whether or not the legislature can carve out political districts that is going to entrench a political social gathering in energy for a vast time frame,” stated Dr. Irving Joyner, a professor of legislation at NC Central.

The justices are set to listen to arguments right this moment at 12:45 p.m. They are going to rehear a case over Voter ID tomorrow.

Following right this moment’s listening to, members of the democratic congressional coalition are planning a press convention to share their response.