Supreme Court Rejects GOP Redistricting Pleas In Pennsylvania, North Carolina
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A major decision came down from the United States Supreme Court ahead of the all-important Pennsylvania primary. The justices say it will not get involved in the battle over the state's new congressional districts.
The Supreme Court justices' decision does allow for an appeal to a three-judge panel that will consider the case down the line.
That will impact elections after this year's, but for now, Pennsylvania is set.
The Supreme Court has essentially decided to punt on the case brought to it by six Republican voters who object to the congressional district map chosen last month by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
"In the opinion that was written by Judge Kavanaugh, stated that we were too close to the election to actually make any changes right now. The congressional districts that were put forth by Pennsylvania Supreme Court are enforced for the 2022 election," Draw the Lines PA Chief of Staff Justin Villere said.
In January, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed the congressional map sent to his desk by the state's Republican-controlled legislature, saying it was highly skewed.
"The one's the Republicans as a legislature sent to Gov. Wolf two months ago had about a one to one-and-a-half seat favorability to Republicans. And then the map that the court just put in, either party could gain a majority," Villere said.
In February, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court chose a map called the Carter Plan, which Wolf hails as mirroring the citizenry of the state.
"It's relatively indicative of Pennsylvania's purple states," Villere said.
The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in this case had no dissents from any of the judges.
In a ruling on a North Carolina congressional map, three conservative justices dissented, disagreeing with the role the North Carolina Supreme Court played in redrawing maps there.
Four of the Supreme Court's conservative justices -- Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch and Kavanaugh -- signaled a desire to hear a case in the future on the question of the judiciary ruling on laws and congressional maps which a state's legislature has enacted. That could quite literally be a game-changer when it comes to partisan gerrymandering.
