New limits on Voting Rights Act

[Brittain33]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/washington/10votes.html?hp

The top line, from my reading of the article: only districts with 50+% minority VAP are shielded by the VRA in redistricting.

[Verily]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/washington/10votes.html?hp

The top line, from my reading of the article: only districts with 50+% minority VAP are shielded by the VRA in redistricting.

It would appear that this ruling essentially eliminates VA-03, NC-12 and similar districts which connect extremely disparate areas to create a majority district

Edit: Apparently NC-12 isn't majority black anyway, so it would almost certainly be dissolved as a result of this ruling.

[muon2]

Whether 50% is right or not, the establishment of a bright-line test is a plus. Makers of districts have feuded over the need to meet certain thresholds for a district. There is now a clear standard that will apply to the 2010 remaps.

[Brittain33]

It would appear that this ruling essentially eliminates VA-03, NC-12 and similar districts which connect extremely disparate areas to create a majority district

Edit: Apparently NC-12 isn't majority black anyway, so it would almost certainly be dissolved as a result of this ruling.

Does this ruling open the door for them to be contested, or does it mean that if a legislature decides to dismantle them, they will succeed? I would guess there is nothing to prevent the VA and NC legislatures from keeping VA-3 and NC-12 intact if they wanted to. This NC state legislative district conflicted with a state law limiting the circumstances under which counties may be split. I don't think that applies to NC, based on the non-VRA squiggles going on around NC-13's borders.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

As I understand it, it merely limits the ability of lawsuits to force such districts to be drawn, but it doesn't keep them from being drawn.  As a way to gerrymander along political lines, I expect such districts to continue to appear from time to time.

[jimrtex]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/washington/10votes.html?hp

The top line, from my reading of the article: only districts with 50+% minority VAP are shielded by the VRA in redistricting.

It would appear that this ruling essentially eliminates VA-03, NC-12 and similar districts which connect extremely disparate areas to create a majority district

Edit: Apparently NC-12 isn't majority black anyway, so it would almost certainly be dissolved as a result of this ruling.

In this case, the North Carolina constitution has a provision against splitting counties for legislative districts.  This can be overridden to comply with federal law, such as equal population requirements, or the VRA.  The issue in this case is whether it was necessary to violate the North Carolina Constitution in order to comply with the VRA.  In essences does the right of equal participation in the voting process require creation of districts that the choice of the minority group can win.