SCOTUS DECLINES TO OVERTURN PARTISAN GERRYMANDERING
The Office of NC Senator Kirk deViere
June 27, 2019 | The North Carolina Senate
RALEIGH: The Supreme Court of the United States voted today to decline to overturn Partisan Gerrymandering. “This is a sad day for our democracy & public trust in our Government,” said Senator deViere. Gerrymandering keeps voters from having a real opportunity and choice in our elections. The way our democracy is supposed to work is by allowing voters to chose their elected officials – not the other way around.
Earlier this year, Senator deViere helped sponsor Senate Bill 673 (NC Citizens Redistricting Commission) which creates an independent redistricting commission. This bill is not only good for fair elections – it creates more transparency and trust.
He also helped introduce Senate Bill 641 (Fix our Democracy) back in April of 2019 with Senator Jeff Jackson & Senator Valerie Foushee. This bill would decrease barriers to voting by establishing online voter registration and automatic voter registration at the DMV. Senator deViere is also hopeful that House Bill 140 (The FAIR Act) comes to the Senate for a vote because this bill, with bipartisan support, amends the constitution to establish a nonpartisan redistricting criteria.
Senator deViere believes that there is no issue that gerrymandering doesn’t touch. It keeps us from expanding access to affordable health care, giving our classrooms the resources they deserve, acting on climate change, creating new jobs — across the board, the progress we all want depends on representative districts. He believes that North Carolina voters deserve better than this.
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