Significant Mapping Developments
Alabama
The U.S. Supreme Court voted 5-4 to stay the federal district court’s order that blocked Alabama’s enacted congressional plan from being used in the 2022 election.
Florida
Florida’s state legislature adopted legislative redistricting plans by joint resolution and submitted them to the state Supreme Court for review.
Kansas
Kansas’s Governor vetoed the state legislature’s congressional redistricting plan. After failing initially, the legislature voted to override the veto, finalizing the maps.
Louisiana
Louisiana’s Senate passed a congressional plan and sent it to the state House.
New Jersey
Republican and Democratic members of New Jersey’s legislative redistricting commission released their proposed legislative plans.
New York
New York enacted congressional and legislative plans which observers have criticized as partisan gerrymanders designed to favor Democrats. State Republicans quickly filed a lawsuit challenging the congressional plan as violating state constitutional and statutory redistricting provisions.
North Carolina
North Carolina’s Supreme Court struck down the state’s enacted congressional and legislative plans as unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders under the state constitution and ordered remedial maps be drawn by February 18th.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s Legislative Apportionment Commission approved final legislative plans. The trial judge in Pennsylvania’s congressional deadlock suit filed her report recommending that the state Supreme Court adopt the Republican state legislature’s congressional plan.
Ohio
Ohio’s Supreme Court rejected the Ohio Redistricting Commission’s revised legislative plans as violating the Ohio Constitution’s partisan fairness and proportionality provisions and ordered new plans be adopted by February 17th. Legislative leaders indicated the state House lacks the votes to enact a new congressional plan, meaning the task will go to the Ohio Redistricting Commission.
Tennessee
Tennessee’s Governor signed the state legislature’s congressional and legislative plans into law.
Washington
Washington’s congressional and legislative plans are now final after the state legislature passed minor amendments to the plans adopted and submitted by the state’s redistricting commission.
Important Dates
This Week
Ohio – 2/13: General Assembly’s court-ordered deadline to enact a remedial congressional plan
Connecticut – 2/15: Connecticut Supreme Court’s deadline for special master’s plan to be filed with Secretary of State
Minnesota – 2/15: Statutory deadline to enact congressional and legislative plans
Next Week
Ohio – 2/17: Commission’s court-ordered deadline to adopt third revised legislative plans
National News
Redistricting News
Redistricting battles in several key battleground states have shifted from state legislatures to state courts.
State News
Michigan
Michigan’s Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit brought by Detroit lawmakers challenging the redistricting commission’s adopted congressional and legislative plans as violating the federal Voting Rights Act.
Missouri
Missouri’s Senate remains deadlocked over a congressional redistricting plan as some state Republicans filibustered for a more aggressive plan.
New Jersey
New Jersey’s Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit brought by state Republicans challenging the congressional plan adopted by the state’s congressional redistricting commission.
New York
The lawsuit challenging New York’s enacted congressional plan includes a claim that the plan unlawfully divides and dilutes the voting strength of Jewish communities in Brooklyn.
North Dakota
Two Native American tribes filed a federal lawsuit challenging the state’s enacted legislative plan as diluting tribal members’ voting strength in violation of the federal Voting Rights Act.
Washington
Washington’s Senate passed a bill increasing the level of transparency in the Washington State Redistricting Commission’s map-drawing and adoption procedures and sent it to the state House.