Majority of justices lean toward emphasizing congressional authority.
The Supreme Court heard arguments for an appeal made by North Carolina legislators this week. The legislature had devised a map for their 14 House of Representatives voting districts that the state court threw out for being unlawfully biased against voters in the opposing party. The court then had a bipartisan group of experts redraw the map fairly. But the legislators appealed this decision to the Supreme Court, saying that judicial powers should not interfere in the legislature’s actions.
Some of the justices expressed concern at the appeal. Justice Elena Kagan said, “This is a proposal that gets rid of the normal checks and balances on the way big governmental decisions are made in this country.” However, three of the judges seemed sympathetic to the sentiment that legislators should primarily be regulated by other legislators. Justice Samuel Alito stated, “Under any circumstances… Congress can always come in and establish the manner of conducting congressional elections.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the justices of the Supreme Court as they consider the arguments for and against judicial intervention in state districting.
- For wisdom for justices and judges throughout the federal court system.
- For members of state legislatures as they negotiate and vote on laws that impact the election process.
Sources: CNN, Reuters
