The Truth About Texas

JSRG said:

The decision you appeal to wasn't plurality, it was a majority (5-4). Well, in terms of result, it was more like 7-2. Scalia and Thomas agreed with the other two dissenters on the merits, but thought the Supreme Court didn't have jurisdiction over the case and would have dismissed it for standing. Thus while they dissented, their preferred outcome would have still functionally had the same result as the majority opinion in keeping the redistricting commission.

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Thanks for the heads up, I’ve amended the post.

JSRG said:

How the heck can gerrymandering affect a statewide race when, by its very nature, a statewide race is completely unaffected by district borders?

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While gerrymandering primarily impacts the composition of the state legislature, it can have indirect effects on gubernatorial elections by influencing candidate selection, voter engagement, and the policy landscape.

SimplyMe said:

There is always Utah. A ballot initiative in 2018 set up an independent commission that would set up the voting districts. In 2020, the commission met and submitted their maps, which under the law was supposed to be approved by the legislature. Instead, the legislature received the maps and completely ignored them, creating their own gerrymandered maps and passing it. Now it is being fought in the courts.

You have to "love" when citizens vote to change the law, the legislature decides they don't like the people's decision and ignore it, or pass new laws to overrule the will of the people.

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Utah Supreme Court Upholds Block on Gerrymandered Congressional Map​

A district court ruled last month the 2021 map unconstitutionally violated the redistricting reforms voters approved through Proposition 4, and it developed a plan to put in place a new map in time for the 2026 election. The court also denied the legislative defendants’ motion to keep the 2021 map in place throughout the remedial process and any appeals – a ruling they appealed to the Utah Supreme Court.

In the latest development, the Utah Supreme Court upheld the district court’s decision to deny the motion keeping the 2021 map in place.

essentialsaltes said:

Utah Supreme Court Upholds Block on Gerrymandered Congressional Map​

A district court ruled last month the 2021 map unconstitutionally violated the redistricting reforms voters approved through Proposition 4, and it developed a plan to put in place a new map in time for the 2026 election. The court also denied the legislative defendants’ motion to keep the 2021 map in place throughout the remedial process and any appeals – a ruling they appealed to the Utah Supreme Court.

In the latest development, the Utah Supreme Court upheld the district court’s decision to deny the motion keeping the 2021 map in place.

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Utah Judge Strikes Down GOP Gerrymander, Restores Voter-Approved Fair Map​

In a sweeping victory for voters, a Utah court struck down the GOP-controlled legislature’s congressional gerrymander and a companion law designed to entrench partisan power.

The court also approved a new map for the 2026 elections, which is likely to give Democrats one of the state’s four congressional seats.

Judge Dianna Gibson ruled Monday that both the legislature’s new map, known as Map C, and the accompanying law, SB 1011, violated Proposition 4, the voter-approved constitutional amendment banning partisan gerrymandering.

Gibson found that the Republican map directly contravened the will of voters, as expressed in their support for Prop 4.

At the center of the case was Map C, a congressional plan pushed through by GOP lawmakers after the court’s earlier [previous story] August order required new maps to comply with Proposition 4.

To remedy the violation, Gibson adopted Plaintiffs’ Map 1, a plan submitted by the pro-voting plaintiffs finding it best met the state’s constitutional standards.