The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for December 12, 2022
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Kansas News Service – ACLU of Kansas wants U.S. Supreme Court to ditch state’s congressional map over race
Topeka Capital Journal – Groups seek to send Kansas congressional redistricting case to U.S. Supreme Court
Spectrum News – Future of map redistricting uncertain with new members of Ohio Supreme Court
Ohio Redistricting Commission – Resource Page
Groups Taking Action:
ACLU KS, Campaign Legal Center, Fair Districts Ohio,
Today’s Script: (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time)
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
With so much post-midterm drama, we haven’t updated you on redistricting issues recently, and redistricting in two states is again in the news.
In Kansas, the Republican legislature gerrymandered the 3rd Congressional district, which includes heavily Black Kansas City, with the intention of diluting Black voting power. The Kansas ACLU and the Campaign Legal Center are taking the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. They argue that under the 14th Amendment, gerrymandering the district was intentional race discrimination by reducing the number of minority voters and depriving its proper representation. If the high court takes the case, it will likely be considered in 2023.
Ohio has struggled for two years to create fair maps, despite a constitutional amendment which forbids redistricting from favoring or disfavoring either political party. The Ohio Supreme Court’s chief justice and fierce advocate for upholding that constitutional amendment, Maureen O’Connor, steps down at the end of December due to a retirement age mandate. O’Connor, a Republican, was threatened with impeachment by members of her party, but upheld the constitution. Her retirement opens the door to a new justice, who will be appointed by a governor shown to support gerrymandered maps. New maps must be completed by the 2024 election. The current gerrymandered maps helped to lock in a veto-proof majority in the 2022 midterms.
Articles and groups taking action can be found at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.