6/28/2006

SCOTUS: "Gerrymandering is okay"

From the New York Times: Justices Back Most G.O.P. Changes to Texas Districts
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld most of the Texas congressional map engineered by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay but threw out part, saying some of the new boundaries failed to protect minority voting rights.

The fractured decision was a small victory for Democratic and minority groups who accused Republicans of an unconstitutional power grab in drawing boundaries that booted four Democratic incumbents out of office.
Small victory? Hell no, this is a massive defeat, not for us, but for justice.

At issue was the shifting of 100,000 Hispanics out of a district represented by a Republican incumbent and into a new, oddly shaped district. Foes of the plan had argued that that was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander under the Voting Rights Act, which protects minority voting rights.

On a different issue, the court ruled that state legislators may draw new maps as often as they like -- not just once a decade as Texas Democrats claimed. That means Democratic and Republican state lawmakers can push through new maps anytime there is a power shift at a state capital.
This decision is going to encourage more corrupt GOP bastards like Tom Moral-Decay to redraw maps for themselves so they can screw the public over even more. Shame on you, Supreme Court, for allowing this miscarriage of justice to occur.