John,

Here are some updates from the last few days you may have missed.

Ohio Redistricting Commission Approves Fourth Set of Legislative Districts
Ahead of a midnight deadline last night, the Ohio Redistricting Commission voted 4-3 to approve its latest version of state House and Senate districts. The Republican commissioners rejected a proposal drawn by two outside experts and instead merely tweaked the third plan previously ruled unconstitutional. Democratic commissioners accused Republicans of hijacking the process. [link removed]

The approved maps will be reviewed by the state Supreme Court for compliance with the Ohio Constitution. Additionally, a federal court will hold a hearing tomorrow in a Republican impasse lawsuit over the lack of legislative districts.

Maryland’s Congressional Map Struck Down
On Friday, a trial court in Maryland blocked the state’s new congressional map from being used. The ruling stems from two lawsuits filed by Republicans last December. The judge agreed the map “is an outlier and a product of extreme partisan gerrymandering.” Read more about the ruling here. [link removed]

The Maryland General Assembly is working on a new map, which is expected to reach the desk of Gov. Larry Hogan (R) by Wednesday.

State and Federal Court Action Over Michigan Districts
Last week, a federal lawsuit was filed on behalf of Black voters against Michigan’s new state House and Senate districts. The lawsuit alleges the state’s commission violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by depriving Black voters in Detroit of enough districts where they can elect representatives of their choice.

Meanwhile, on Friday the Michigan Supreme Court rejected a separate challenge and upheld the state House map. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Michigan, argued the map favored Republicans and therefore violated the Michigan Constitution. Find out more about both lawsuits here. [link removed]

North Carolina Felony Disenfranchisement Law Struck Down
Yesterday, a North Carolina trial court struck down the state’s felony disenfranchisement law that prevents individuals with felony convictions from registering to vote while on community supervision. The decision immediately enfranchises over 56,000 North Carolinians. Get the full details here. [link removed]

Can’t get enough news? You can always find more details about these updates on our Alerts page.

Thanks for staying in the fight,
Team Democracy Docket






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