CHARLOTTE, NC — North Carolina lawmakers responded after The Supreme Court struck down two state congressional district maps Monday.
The ruling stated that officials had engaged in unconstitutional gerrymandering when drawing district lines. Opponents had argued that the lines packed African-Americans into districts with already high numbers of African-Americans, thereby diluting their presence in other districts.
You can read the full responses below:
“North Carolina voters deserve a level playing field and fair elections, and Iβm glad the Supreme Court agrees. The North Carolina Republican legislature tried to rig Congressional elections by drawing unconstitutional districts that discriminated against African Americans, and that’s wrong.”
-Governor Roy Cooper
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“My focus is on serving my constituents, including securing additional funding for Hurricane Matthew, supporting appropriate requests from local officials, and helping ordinary Americans untangle Washington red tape. Today’s ruling doesn’t change my focus.”
-Congressman Robert Pittenger (NC-9)
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βI applaud today’s Supreme Court decision that reaffirmed that using race as the predominant factor in redistricting is unconstitutional. This should serve as a wakeup call to the Republican-led general assembly, whose voter suppression tactics have been struck down twice in federal court, in as many weeks. As elected officials, we should be working together to make access to the ballot box easier and more fair. In Congress we must take swift action to restore the Voting Rights Act. In North Carolina, it is time to appoint an independent redistricting commission to return our democracy to the will of the people.”
-Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12)
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βWe have the utmost respect for the Supreme Court, but it is challenging for our lawmakers to draw congressional districts that the courts will accept when the courts regularly change the rules state legislatures must follow when drawing them β an important point the dissenting opinion noted:
A precedent of this Court should not be treated like a disposable household item β say, a paper plate or napkin β to be used once and then tossed in the trash. But that is what the Court does today in its decision regarding North Carolinaβs 12th Congressional District: The Court junks a rule adopted in a prior, remarkably similar challenge to this very same congressional district.
In 2016, North Carolina drew a new compact Congressional map without considering race, and voters should know the Congressional representatives elected under that map last November will continue to serve their current districts.β
-Amy Auth, a spokeswoman for Sen. Berger
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βThe Supreme Court rulings serve as a major win for North Carolina voters and the democratic process. Republicans have illegally targeted African-American voters by drawing the congressional maps to sway the outcome of local elections. We need to make voting easier, not harder. While the Supreme Courtβs decisions are a step forward for democracy in North Carolina, we must continue to work to protect the right to vote for every North Carolinian.β
-Senator Joyce Waddell.
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βNorth Carolinaβs congressional maps β despite being approved by President Obamaβs Justice Department β have already been redrawn and voted in to elect new federal representatives statewide. While we prefer consistent rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court over the shifting legal positions criticized by Justice Alito in his dissent, we are satisfied todayβs decision brings certainty to North Carolina voters that the current congressional districts (drawn in 2016) will remain in place for upcoming elections.β
-North Carolina House Rules Chairman David Lewis (R-Harnett)
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“Our position continues to be the same as the Obama Justice Department on this issue, which pre-cleared these districts as fair and legal. I don’t know how any legislature can perform this task when the rules change constantly from case to case, often after the fact,” said Chairman Hayes, as he went on to quote Justice Alito.
“Justice Alito stated it correctly in his dissent, ‘A precedent of this court should not be treated like a disposable household itemβsay, a paper plate or napkinβto be used once and then tossed in the trash. But that is what the court does today in its decision….'”
Hayes continued, “The courts have put legislatures in an impossible situation, with their constantly changing standards. It is also important to note that this ruling does not impact our current congressional map, which we also believe is fair and legal.”
-NCGOP Chairman Robin Hayes
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βNorth Carolinaβs congressional districts have frequently been used as an example as some of the most gerrymandered maps in the country. We applaud the Supreme Courtβs decision today to affirm the lower court ruling that the maps were racially gerrymandered. Republicans in the General Assembly have constantly discriminated against African Americans and we hope to see an election cycle with the fair maps our state deserves.β
-NCDP Chairman Wayne Goodwin
