Source: Drew Angerer / Getty
Well, it looks like a complicated election season will become even more complicated for NC voters.
WRAL reports that the NC Supreme Court declared on Friday (Apr. 28) that partisan gerrymandering is legal, with the state’s GOP taking full advantage of their new majority to reverse the ban on the practice that was issued last year.
In a separate decision, the court also stated that the law requiring registered voters to show a state-issued ID is also legal.
Furthermore, the decision to allow convicted felons to vote after completing their prison sentence was also reversed. Now, all felons will have to complete all aspects of their sentence before registering, including paying fines and completing probation.
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In his opinion, Chief Justice Paul Newby said that the state’s judiciary doesn’t have the power to weigh in on gerrymandering.
“It is not within the authority of this Court to amend the constitution to create such limitations on a responsibility that is textually assigned to another branch,” he wrote.
“Furthermore, were this court to create such a limitation, there is no judicially discoverable or manageable standard for adjudicating such claims. The constitution does not require or permit a standard known only to four justices.”
Republicans praised the ruling. House Speaker Tim Moore noted that Friday’s decisions “have ensured that our constitution and the will of the people of North Carolina are honored.”
Moore promises to redraw state House, Senate and congressional maps. That is expected to be done later this year.
Meanwhile, Democrats say the ruling is just another partisan decision for the GOP to continue their power grab.
“The Republican state Supreme Court has ignored the constitution and followed the marching orders of the Republican legislature by declaring open season for their extreme partisan gerrymander and is destroying the court’s reputation for independence,” Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement. “Republican legislators wanted a partisan court that would issue partisan opinions and that’s exactly what this is.”
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