Supreme Court denies GOP request to block Pennsylvania gerrymandering decision

The fight for Congress and state legislatures is being fought simultaneously this year in courts and at the polls.

The Supreme Court on Monday declined a request by Pennsylvania Republicans to block a redistricting order by the state’s highest court. And a new congressional map could help Democrats pick up a few Republican-held spots in Pennsylvania.

Now that the SCOTUS has refused to do that, the legislature has just four days to get new maps drawn up and passed. Those decisions, in turn, could impact numerous 37 states where state lawmakers, rather than commissions, draw the lines.

Texas, Wisconsin, and North Carolina have been facing their own gerrymandering issues. “There is no partisan gerrymandering exception to federalism”, they wrote.

“Today’s Congressional maps were drafted and approved by both Republicans and Democrats”, the statement said.

Those would first be used in a congressional primary – now set for May 15, although that date might be moved forward in the year. They want to do so, moreover, to rescue their own lawless efforts to rig the state’s elections. “It would have a general, moderating effect on the drawing of these lines”. Republicans accused the state Supreme Court of “attempting to play the role of “lawmaker” and asked the justices to intervene. It is to go to the state’s governor that day, for approval or veto.

Wolf disagrees. “I think people have gerrymandered districts in far less time”, he said.

Candidates reached by PennLive Monday said they are taking no such pause even as they acknowledged bouncing around like balls on a political roulette wheel, waiting to see if their personal chances are enhanced or diminished. This would nearly certainly change the makeup of its federal delegation, now 13 Republicans to 5 Democrats, despite a gap of only a few percentage points between the two parties in the 2016 elections. Think about it. Do we need a new Supreme Court?

In the meantime, it’s hard to mount a legal challenge without an opinion, and lawmakers have to proceed as if the state court ruling will stand. The vote was 5-2, with Mundy one of the two dissenters. Republicans hold 13 of the 18 Pennsylvania seats after taking 54.1 percent of the vote in 2016.

Speaking to reporters at the Capitol, Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre County, said that lawmakers from the Senate and House have not yet met to determine how or whether they will try to pass Congressional maps by Friday. The party in power, therefore, still would have the opportunity to favor itself.

He says those factors make the recusal request untimely under state law.

In their request to Alito, GOP lawmakers argued that the state Supreme Court usurped Pennsylvania’s legislative authority in tossing out the map.