June, 29 2015, 12:45pm EDT
ACLU Comment on Supreme Court Ruling in Arizona Redistricting Case
In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court today ruled that the Constitution permits the people of Arizona to use the initiative process to establish an independent commission in charge of congressional redistricting. The court also found that the "core principle of republican government" is "that the voters should choose their representatives, not the other way around."
The ACLU filed an amicus brief in this case, Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission.
WASHINGTON
In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court today ruled that the Constitution permits the people of Arizona to use the initiative process to establish an independent commission in charge of congressional redistricting. The court also found that the "core principle of republican government" is "that the voters should choose their representatives, not the other way around."
The ACLU filed an amicus brief in this case, Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission.
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Dale Ho, director of the ACLU's Voting Rights Project, said:
"This ruling affirms that voters have the flexibility to adopt a common-sense reform to address the problem of partisan gerrymandering by using an independent nonpartisan commission to draw congressional districts. In essence, it says voters can keep the fox from guarding the henhouse."
The ruling is at: https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/arizona-state-legislature-v-arizona-independent-redistricting-commission-et-al
More information is at: https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/arizona-state-legislature-v-arizona-independent-redistricting-commission-et-al-amicus
The American Civil Liberties Union was founded in 1920 and is our nation's guardian of liberty. The ACLU works in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.
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