CASE SUMMARY

On February 23, 2022, a group of Tennessee voters filed a lawsuit against Tennessee’s Governor, Secretary of State, and Coordinator of Elections challenging the state’s enacted legislative redistricting plans as violating the Tennessee Constitution. Plaintiffs alleged the state House plan failed to comply with the state constitution’s minimization of county splits criteria and the state Senate plan failed to comply with the constitution’s consecutive numbering requirement. They sought a judicial declaration the plans were unconstitutional, a preliminary and permanent injunction barring the plans from use in future elections, an order requiring the General Assembly to remedy the defects in the plans within 15 days, and for the court to impose interim remedial plans if the State failed to do so.

  • On April 6, 2022, the trial court issued a preliminary injunction barring the state Senate plan from being used in the 2022 election and ordered the State to enact a remedial plan within 15 days. The court declined to grant an injunction against the House plan.
  • On April 7, the defendants filed an application for extraordinary jurisdiction with the Tennessee Supreme Court to hear their appeal directly, which the Court granted on April 11, 2022.
  • On April 13, the Tennessee Supreme Court vacated the trial court’s injunction, thereby allowing the Senate plan to be used in the 2022 election, and remanded the case after finding the trial court failed to adequately consider the harms an injunction would cause to the 2022 election processes.
  • On November 22, 2023, the trial court upheld the state House plan but struck down the state Senate plan for violating the state constitution’s consecutive numbering requirement and ordered the General Assembly to pass a remedial plan.
  • The General Assembly appealed the trial court’s decision to the Tennessee Supreme Court one week later and on December 8, 2023, the Court stayed the trial court’s remedial order.

CASE LIBRARY

Tennessee Chancery Court, Davidson County - No. 22-0287-IV

Tennessee Supreme Court - No. M2022-00434-SC-RDO-CV

Tennessee Chancery Court, Davidson County - No. 22-0287-IV [On Remand]

Tennessee Supreme Court - No. M2023-01686-SC-R3-CV

Moore v. Lee
Tweet This