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Photo taken in 2015 of the Interior Statehouse Dome in Lansing, Michigan. A federal court ruled that the state congressional map and some state legislative districts were unfairly manipulated for the benefit of Republicans.
Carlos Osorio / AP
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Carlos Osorio / AP
Photo taken in 2015 of the Interior Statehouse Dome in Lansing, Michigan. A federal court ruled that the state congressional map and some state legislative districts were unfairly manipulated for the benefit of Republicans.
Carlos Osorio / AP
A Michigan federal court stated that the Republican-controlled state legislature had unfairly traced some of the legislative boundaries of the state and US House district and that a government divided should define new boundaries.
A panel of three judges stated that 27 of the 34 contested constituencies diluted the weight of the votes and that each disputed constituency was unconstitutional.
"This court is joining the growing chorus of federal courts that have ruled in recent years that partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional," the judges said.
The lawsuit was filed by the Women's Union League of Michigan. They claimed that Republicans had traced the boundaries of a political district to put the Democrats at a disadvantage. According to the court, e-mails testify to a deliberate attempt by Republicans to ensure that the party continues to have a majority in power.
An e-mail said: "We need, for legal and public relations purposes, a beautiful map that [does] does not look like an obvious gerrymander. "The court also indicated another e-mail mentioning the proposed card", protects the nine [Republican] holders and this looks good. "
The court said of previous versions of the district maps: "The adopted plan gives the Republicans a strong, systematic and lasting structural advantage in the Michigan elections and is a decisive discrimination against the Democrats".
Now legislators in the GOP-controlled legislature will have to go back to the drawing board to come up with new lines for the districts that suit the Democratic Governor of Michigan. The court said the legislature should be passed and the governor had to legalize the new cards by August 1, otherwise the court would draw the new cards.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court heard arguments in two delimitation cases in Maryland and Wisconsin that could address the question of whether legislators can establish political boundaries solely for partisan ends. A decision in these cases is expected for June.
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