A recent decision gives North Carolina lawmakers the ability to draw the legislative maps they believe are best, without judicial interference.
A newly minted Republican majority on the North Carolina Supreme Court reversed an earlier decision from December when the court’s then-Democratic majority rejected the GOP maps as a partisan gerrymander.
In his majority opinion, Chief Justice Paul Newby, a Republican, said the decision is about realigning the proper roles for the judicial and legislative branches. Meanwhile, critics say the decision will lead to extreme partisan gerrymanders in favor of the party in control of the state legislature. In North Carolina’s case, that’s the GOP.
On the next Charlotte Talks, we examine what this decision means for North Carolina, the rest of the country, and the future of our legislative makeup.
GUESTS:
Travis Fain, statehouse reporter for WRAL
Asher D. Hildebrand, associate professor of the practice at the Sanford School of Public Policy
Robert Barnes, covers the U.S. Supreme Court for The Washington Post
