Supreme Court to Begin Hearing Arguments on Legislative Redistricting Case

 

By Chris Fuchs

Oral arguments are set to begin before the U.S. Supreme Court on Dec. 8 in Evenwel v. Abbott, a case that asks whether the total number of registered or eligible voters — as opposed to the total population — should be used to draw up state legislative districts.

The outcome of the lawsuit, brought last year by two Texas voters against the Lone Star State, has strong implications for the rest of the nation, particularly in states with significant minority populations who are ineligible to vote because they are legal permanent residents or haven't turned 18.

"About one in four Asians and Pacific Islanders are not yet citizens of the United States, yet most are eligible for naturalization," Democratic National Committee spokesman Eric Walker told NBC News. The DNC filed an amicus brief for Evenwel v. Abbott in September.

"Excluding these lawful permanent residents for the purposes of redistricting would significantly decrease their political power relative to other groups, such as the white plurality," Walker said. 

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Source: NBC News