The not-so-Grand Old Party has known for decades that its numbers are dwindling. Rather than step up what the Republican leadership can do for its party, they prefer to “cheat honestly” through gerrymandering grotesque shapes. But in breaking news, the New Jersey Supreme Court just threw out a Republican lawsuit.
This lawsuit wanted to toss New Jersey’s congressional map. But that was not all. The suit also wanted to “discredit the redistricting process.” The Democracy Docket reported:
‘[T]he New Jersey Congressional Redistricting Commission adopted a new congressional map. The commission members voted on party lines to adopt the map proposed by the Democratic commissioners, with commission Chair and former New Jersey Supreme Court Justice John Wallace, Jr. casting the tie-breaking vote in favor of the Democratic map.’
The court did so, because Wallace had “no disqualifying conflict” and this “Court has no role in the outcome of the redistricting process unless the map is ‘unlawful:'”
‘The plaintiffs argue that the commission’s “vote and establishment of Congressional district[s] for the next decade was invalid because it was contingent upon the flawed vote and reasoning by Chair Wallace” — specifically, that Wallace stated that he voted for the Democratic proposal rather than the Republican one because Republicans drew the congressional map in the last round of redistricting.’
The lawsuit claimed that this argument by Wallace was “unreasonable.” It also said that it violated both the New Jersey and U.S. Constitutions. Then, the plaintiffs requested that the New Jersey Supreme Court vacate the new map. Instead, the commission would have the power to build a new map.
Districting attorney and founder of The Democracy Docket Marc E. Elias tweeted the breaking news:
‘BREAKING: New Jersey Supreme Court DISMISSES Republican lawsuit seeking to throw out the state’s congressional map and discredit the redistricting process. Another big win for voters!’
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So what is this redistricting process? According to The Redistricting Hub:
- ‘Ballotpedia provides details for each state about the redistricting process and contacts for current elected officials.
- More information on whether redistricting in your state is overseen by the state legislature or commission can be found on All About Redistricting by clicking on your state.
- The Brennan Center has produced simplified redistricting guides for all states.’
Three White Lions podcast, Gloria Christie reads a chapter from her book of the same title. She also writes for the liberal online newspaper The Bipartisan Report. Gloria Christie Report her newsletter for people on the go. Written in her own unique style with a twist of humor in a briefer version of Bipartisan Report. Christie’s Mueller Report Adventures In Bite-Sizes a real-life compelling spy mystery (in process). Find her here on Facebook.
