Do you support Reynolds v. Sims?

[J. J.]

It depends.  What is the state constitutional relationship between counties and the state.  If counties are not creations of the state, and the legislature can create or change them unilaterally, I might oppose it.

[J. J.]

It depends.  What is the state constitutional relationship between counties and the state.  If counties are not creations of the state, and the legislature can create or change them unilaterally, I might oppose it.

Except this is valid for ALL states.

Yes, and I would favor the decision states, like PA, where counties are the sole creation of the legislature. 

It there is a state where the relationship between a county and the sate is similar to the relationship between a state and the Federal govern.  I'm not sure that there is this relationship in any state.

[J. J.]

If by one person, one vote, you mean that 5 year olds should be allowed to vote, that's idiotic. If you mean one voter should have one vote, I agree, but that has nothing to do with this.

J.J., what does the relationship between the counties and the states have to do with whether this ruling was constitutional or not?

In general, and in PA:

A county is subdivision of a state, a creation of the legislature and one that can be modified or altered by the legislature.  A state cannot be.

A county is completely dependent on state law for its existence; a state is governed by its own constitution.  The Federal government cannot directly, even through the courts, legislate for a state except by means of a constitutional requirement.  The state can legislate for a county.

[J. J.]

If by one person, one vote, you mean that 5 year olds should be allowed to vote, that's idiotic. If you mean one voter should have one vote, I agree, but that has nothing to do with this.

J.J., what does the relationship between the counties and the states have to do with whether this ruling was constitutional or not?

In general, and in PA:

A county is subdivision of a state, a creation of the legislature and one that can be modified or altered by the legislature.  A state cannot be.

A county is completely dependent on state law for its existence; a state is governed by its own constitution.  The Federal government cannot directly, even through the courts, legislate for a state except by means of a constitutional requirement.  The state can legislate for a county.

Yeah, but what does that have to do with whether or not it's constitutional to give counties a vote in the State Senate?

I'm suggesting that under a county system as described, each county is but a political subdivision, just like a district is.  The exact same way a sentate distriict is drawn is the way a county is drawn.  Citizens of a county have no additional constitutional rights be being in a county.

The analogy is to a legislative district, which goes back to Baker v. Carr.

[J. J.]

I'm suggesting that there is a difference between one man one vote and one repesentative unit with one (or more) votes.