The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to impose new limits on state courts reviewing certain election-related issues by ruling against Republicans in North Carolina fighting for a congressional district map that would heavily favor their candidates.

The justices ruled in a 6-3 vote that the North Carolina Supreme Court was acting within its authority in concluding that the map constituted a partisan gerrymander under the state Constitution.

In doing so, the court declined to embrace a hitherto obscure legal argument called the “independent state legislature” theory, which Republicans say limits the authority of state courts to strike down certain election laws enacted by state legislatures.

  • raccoona_nongrata@beehaw.org
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    24
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    Thank christ. This very well could’ve finished off what democracy we do have here in the US. It literally would’ve opened the way for a permanent right-wing majority.

    For how cobsequrntial this decision was going to be, it recieved very little coverage.

    • KNova@links.dartboard.social
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      Five to Four podcast (“a podcast about how much the Supreme Court sucks”) have been sounding the alarm, but that probably doesn’t represent more than a few thousand listeners.

  • FarceMultiplier@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    8
    ·
    1 year ago

    “In dissent, Justice Clarence Thomas, joined by fellow conservatives Justice Samuel Alito and Justice Neil Gorsuch”

    Of fucking course.

  • 73rdNemesio@infosec.pub
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    1 year ago

    Woke up and immediately popped on the SCOTUSBlog live stream 7 more decisions to wait for but this was a massive relief to see.