The U.S. Supreme Court ruled federal courts cannot judge if extreme partisan gerrymandering violates the constitution. The 5-4 ruling on cases from Maryland and North Carolina, along conservative-liberal ideological lines, allows Ohio to continue using current congressional maps through the 2020 election.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said the court made the right call.
“This is a political problem and it needs a political solution. And fortunately, Ohio voters have already elected to redesign our line drawing process with a constitutional amendment, the way it ought to be done. The power to legislate belongs to the legislature or the people, not the courts.”
That new process will be used in 2021. Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper said he was not surprised but is disappointed by the court's sharply divided ruling with two newly appointed conservative justices.
