The GOP is continuing its push to rig congressional maps around the country – next up, Ohio – but they’re facing serious opposition to their schemes in Utah and Missouri. 

In a major victory for voters, the Utah Supreme Court this week denied the state legislature’s petition to keep its gerrymandered congressional map in place for upcoming elections and ordered lawmakers to present a new map by Sept. 25. 

The decision likely means Utah voters will have fair districts when they go to the polls next year – and it could give Democrats an additional seat in Congress.

Meanwhile, Missouri became the second red state to pass a GOP gerrymander this year under direct pressure from President Donald Trump. But unlike in Texas, Trump is finding out Missouri voters have a huge trick up their sleeves – and they’re using it. 

Missourians have the constitutional right to a referendum that allows them to veto laws passed by the legislature. Richard Von Glahn, executive director of People NOT Politicians Missouri, said this week a coalition of Missourians have filed a referendum petition and over 800 people have volunteered to help collect signatures to get the measure on the ballot.

If the coalition submits the signatures by Dec. 11, the map cannot go into effect until signatures are verified and Missourians have the chance to hold a referendum vote, Von Glahn said.

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) still hasn’t signed the map legislation into law – maybe because Republicans appear to have made a mistake and included a Kansas City precinct in two congressional districts, giving those residents the ability to vote twice. (Kehoe’s office denies there’s an error.) Read more about the Missouri referendum here.

The voting world was holding its breath in June, waiting for a historic ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) in the Louisiana v. Callais redistricting case. Instead, the court issued an order to rehear the case in the next term. That break is coming to an end. SCOTUS is scheduled to hear oral arguments starting Oct. 15 in a case that could determine the future of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) – and what relief is available to minority voters when maps are drawn to silence them.

In the latest development, white voters filed a supplemental brief this week giving us a preview of what to expect in October. The brief addressed whether Louisiana's intentional creation of a second majority-minority congressional district violates the 14th or 15th Amendment. They argued Louisiana's map violates the 15th Amendment and they urged SCOTUS to order the district court to implement a new map. 

They also argued if SCOTUS does not gut Section 2 of the VRA in their Louisiana ruling, it should at least make it much harder for minority voters to win in court.

They want it to be even more difficult for minority voters to prove racial discrimination in redistricting, that race drove the redistricting decisions, and that the discrimination stems from the state itself. Even if minority voters do clear those higher bars, they’re arguing that the remedy should not elevate one racial group at the expense of another, since in their view "that would only remedy discrimination through discrimination." Read more about the Louisiana case here.

OPINION

Trump’s Plan to Use the State to Crush Dissent

Over and over again, Marc’s warnings and predictions about the second Trump administration have, unfortunately, turned out to be accurate.

Here’s what he said to expect next: “Soon we will see the targeting of donors, organizations and individual opposition leaders. The goal will be to tell a story about each that makes them seem uniquely bad and not worthy of our collective support. Much of this will be fabricated lies — aimed at dividing an already fragile movement.”

The bottom line is that progressive groups will need to stand together or none will be safe, Marc said. Read more here.

Beto O'Rourke joins Marc to expose how Republicans are trying to steal the midterm elections, and what he’s doing to stop them. Watch it on YouTube here.