SCOTUS Throws Out Michigan Lawsuit Challenging Republican Drawn Congressional Districts

Timothy Meads | October 21, 2019 4:45 PM

The United States Supreme Court threw out a lawsuit challenging Michigan congressional maps drawn by state Republicans.

According to NBC News, "Monday's ruling came in a lawsuit filed after Republicans redrew the political boundary lines after the 2010 census. Democrats claimed that the new plan would perpetuate Republican control by preventing Democrats from forming majorities."

In April, a lower court judge ruled the maps to be unconstitutional gerrymandering. However, SCOTUS stayed the case as it heard two other cases dealing with gerrymandering in Maryland and North Carolina. In June, the court ruled that federal courts should play no role in gerrymandering cases. Today, it dismissed the case entirely. Thus, the GOP drawn state and congressional maps in Michigan can stay.

Liberals, for their part, reacted to news by declaring SCOTUS to be a "partisan hack."

It's official. #Scotus is now a partisan hack that is out to destroy Democracy. They have greenlighted voter purges, gerrymandering and dark money.

Supreme Court Vacates Michigan Gerrymandering Decision https://t.co/8tIVxtDprM
— Jamie Carter ? #DemCast (@JCTheResistance) October 21, 2019

The group, "Voters, Not Politicians," behind the lawsuit harshly condemned SCOTUS in a statement, saying, "The public now knows what happens behind closed doors when politicians and special interests have the power to manipulate election district maps for partisan political gain," she said. "The U.S. Supreme Court’s unwillingness to protect voters from extreme partisan gerrymandering underscores the importance of citizen-led initiatives (to determine how political lines are drawn)."