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Supreme Court strikes down Michigan gerrymandering ruling

By Clyde Hughes
Demonstrators march in front of the Supreme Court in June before its gerrymandering ruling on cases in North Carolina and Maryland. On Monday, the court said federal judges should not step into another case in Michigan. Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI
Demonstrators march in front of the Supreme Court in June before its gerrymandering ruling on cases in North Carolina and Maryland. On Monday, the court said federal judges should not step into another case in Michigan. Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo

Oct. 21 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court Monday struck down a lower court ruling that would have made the Michigan legislature redraw congressional and legislative districts before the 2020 elections.

The court vacated the three-judge panel ruling that initially claimed that the political maps gave an unfair advantage to Republicans. The Supreme Court's decision was expected since it ruled 5-4 in June that the federal court did not have jurisdiction in solving political questions regarding electoral maps.

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That June ruling let stand electoral maps in North Carolina, which opponents said favored Republicans, and in Maryland, where foes said the map unfairly helped Democrats.

"Partisan gerrymandering claims present political questions beyond the reach of the federal courts," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the June Supreme Court decision, setting the stage for Monday's ruling.

The League of Women Voters and some Democrats challenged the Michigan map, claiming that 34 of the districts packed or divided voters into certain district to favor Republicans and should be ruled unconstitutional.

The three-judge federal court panel wrote in its decision the "federal courts' failure to protect marginalized voters' constitutional rights will only increase the citizenry's growing disenchantment with, and disillusionment in, our democracy, further weaken our democratic institutions, and threaten the credibility of the judicial branch."

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With Monday's ruling, Michigan's political lines will remain until 2022 and a bipartisan commission created by a statewide referendum will take over the duty.

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