Redistricting
Federal campaign finance rules have restricted how involved federal political committees such as the RNC, DNC, NRCC, and DCCC can be in the redistricting process. As such, the State Government Leadership Foundation, in coordination with the Republican State Leadership Committee, is now the primary conservative organization offering redistricting services to the states. The SGLF has a renowned team of experts assisting state leaders with crafting fair, legal redistricting plans. The SGLF’s experts have been working intently on states that gain or lose Congressional seats, but the guidance and expertise they provide has focused primarily on legislative lines. Our team has assisted in states such as Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Nevada and many other states across the country.
While most states have completed the drafting stage of redistricting, the SGLF’s focus has turned toward litigation. The critical need is to fund litigation in those states where fair, legal lines must be defended.
Liberal interests have multiple multi-million dollar funding sources:
- The Democratic National Redistricting Trust
- The National Committee for an Effective Congress
- Other Union funding
While the SGLF has taken over as the primary conservative organization on the redistricting front, conservatives have not yet developed any such organizations whose main focus is strictly on litigation funding. Liberals are inserting their best litigators and experts into cases all over the nation, while many conservative stakeholders are struggling to fund their court battles. This is where conservatives won many of their redistricting battles in the last two decades, but the national political committees are no longer able to fund these efforts due to federal campaign finance restrictions.
While the liberals claim they have a $17 million litigation fund, conservatives could make a big impact with even a quarter of that amount as conservatives control the public funding sources in many more states than the liberals. Funding these litigation battles is key to ensuring that fair, legal lines are defended and implemented in states across the country.
News & Articles
Albany Redistricting Needs Court Master, Judge Rules
Judge Irizarry’s ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed in November by a group of civic leaders who asserted that the redistricting process for the state Assembly and Senate, as well as the state’s Congressional delegation, had stalled.
Ky. lawmakers approve congressional redistricting
The House voted 58-26 for the plan, two hours after the Senate passed it 29-7. The heavily debated measure, which also reopens the congressional filing deadline for five days, was signed into law by Gov. Steve Beshear.
Despite protests from the GOP, the plan bolsters the Democrats' hold on the 6th Congressional District represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler.
Florida redistricting plans get final passage
The Senate sent the congressional map (HB 1174) to Gov. Rick Scott and the legislative plan (SJR 1176) to the Florida Supreme Court. Both passed in the House last week.
The Democrats contend the maps violate anti-gerrymandering standards in the two Fair Districts amendments to the Florida Constitution that voters approved in 2010. The suit was filed in state Circuit Court here. Florida Democratic Party officials said they would contest the legislative maps during the Supreme Court review.
Judges skeptical of Texas in redistricting case
The U.S. Justice Department and a coalition of minority groups contend the legislative and congressional maps the Texas Legislature drew last year recut districts in a way meant to dilute the state's burgeoning minority voting population. They say the maps violate a section of the Voting Rights Act that requires states with a history of racially discriminatory voting practices to get so-called "pre-clearance" from the Justice Department before making electoral changes.
Texas redistricting talks stall
A panel of three federal judges in San Antonio asked Friday that lawyers for the nine plaintiff groups, which are made up mostly of minority groups, get together with lawyers for the State of Texas to see if they could agree on a new set of maps for the U.S. House, the Texas House and the state Senate.
Albany Redistricting Plan Faulted as Unfair to Minorities
Pa. high court tosses legislative redistricting plan
The two-page order sending the plan back to the Legislative Reapportionment Commission said current district lines will remain until the commission comes up with a new plan that passes legal muster, which could mean changes may not take effect for two years.
Legislators criticize emerging Kansas congressional maps
In both plans, Lawrence would be consolidated into the 2nd U.S. House District. Lawrence is now split between the 2nd and 3rd districts.
Lawrence officials have welcomed the idea of being placed in one district, but officials from other areas voiced disapproval of the two proposals.
Supreme Court Rejects Judge-Drawn Maps in Texas Redistricting Case
The court’s unanimous decision extends the uncertainty surrounding this major voting-rights case, which could help determine control of the House of Representatives.
Senate approves GOP congressional redistricting plan
The vote on House Bill 251 was 20-19 along party lines. It would likely have gone to a tie in the evenly divided chamber but one Democratic senator was not present.
The legislation now goes to the desk of Gov. Bob McDonnell. Even with McDonnell's anticipated signature, the plan still must be approved by the Department of Justice for compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act.
Legislative Committee Considers Redistricting
The Joint Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Interim Committee meeting starts Thursday morning in Cheyenne. It may continue into Friday if necessary for lawmakers to adopt a final redistricting plan for presentation to the Legislature.
Missouri court throws out redistricting plans
With candidate filings for the 2012 elections set to begin Feb. 28, the rulings opened the door to the possibility that final district boundary lines won’t be drawn by then. That would cause confusion and possibly discourage some candidates from running, party leaders said.
“That’s not good for the democratic process,” said Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders, chairman of the Missouri Democratic Party.
Justices Grapple With Voting Rights Case That Could Help Tip the House
“We are all under the gun of very strict time limitations,” said Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. Primary elections in Texas have already been moved back to April, and the court must act very quickly to avoid further delays.
Supreme Court justices struggle with Texas redistricting case
Complicating the case are two other panels of federal judges also weighing legal challenges under the Voting Rights Act to the redistricting plans drawn by the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature for the House and Senate and congressional districts.
New TN redistricting maps would give GOP advantage
Lawmakers did not unveil a new map for Tennessee’s congressional districts, but Speaker of the House Beth Harwell promised that would happen by the end of the week.
Redistricting battle to be appealed to U.S. Supreme Court
The West Virginia Legislature will ask U.S. Supreme Court to take its side in a fight over how to draw the state's three congressional districts, lawmakers said Thursday.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, Senate President Jeff Kessler and House Speaker Rick Thompson agreed to seek emergency legal relief from a three-judge panel that is threatening to impose its will on the state.
Judge’s ruling means a more competitive N.M. House
The Democratic judge, James A. Hall, ruled Tuesday in favor of Martinez’s plan, saying it’s better because it protects Native American-majority districts while changing districts less than other plans.
Redistricting maps help lawmakers
Conn. court picks special master for redistricting
Shortly after a hearing with lawyers representing Republicans and Democrats on the legislative redistricting commission, the State Supreme Court announced it had chosen one of the two out-of-state professors recommended by the two parties for the position of special master.
Nathaniel Persily, a political science professor at Columbia University in New York, will have until Jan. 27 to submit a new congressional map to the court that takes into account the state's revised population figures and distribution since the 2010 census.
Redistricting map case heads to Missouri Supreme Court
After the circuit court in Cole County dismissed the challenge to the new Missouri Congressional map, plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal Dec. 13 with the state Supreme Court.
New Congressional Map Released
Three federal judges released the state’s new Congressional map on Monday, with some pretty big changes coming because of the strong growth in MS-01 and the even stronger population loss in MS-02.
Pennsylvania redistricting plan a coup for GOP
The GOP-drawn plan, released by a state legislative redistricting panel, forces two Democrats into an incumbent vs. incumbent face-off for a southwestern Pennsylvania-based seat and shores up more than a half-dozen House Republicans.
Texas redistricting is hard on the eyes
By agreeing Friday to hear arguments on the legality of court-drawn interim voting maps for the 2012 elections, the U.S. Supreme Court only spread the joy.
All that's certain is that uncertainty will continue well into campaign season. Candidates for the Texas House and Senate and 36 seats in Congress don't know whether to file for re-election yet much less what district to file in.
Redistricting on the fast track
A saying frequently heard around the Capitol is that "the devil is in the details."
This saying referring to the arcane nature of legislation certainly applies to this year's process to draw boundaries for 18 congressional districts in Pennsylvania.
Candidates for U.S. House seats are due to start circulate nominating petitions in seven weeks on Jan. 24 yet they don't know yet the shapes of the districts they would run in. The congressional redistricting bill being negotiated by House and Senate Republican leaders and Gov. Tom Corbett may be finally unveiled this week at a joint House-Senate committee meeting and then voted on in both chambers.
Arizona Redistricting Commission Slows Down Following Jan Brewer's Attempt To Unseat Chair
Following last month's decision by the state Supreme Court to overturn Gov. Jan Brewer's (R) controversial firing of the commission chairwoman, AIRC members are taking their time to finish up final maps. Three marathon commission meetings last week were dedicated to reviewing the draft maps that originally brought the commission into the limelight.