Jeff Singer of The Daily Kos publishes a lengthy analysis of the new North Carolina legislative district map, lately redrawn after the courts found the 2011 map discriminated against black voters:
Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed a lower court ruling that had struck down 28 of North Carolina’s 170 state legislative districts on the grounds that Republicans had violated the Constitution by diminishing the power of black voters when they drew these maps in 2011. However, the GOP legislature still got first crack at drawing remedial maps, and they took the opportunity to shore up a number of Republican districts—something they otherwise were not permitted to do, since the state constitution prohibits mid-decade redistricting.
A Democratic challenge to this backdoor gerrymander ran aground in the courts, leaving Republicans with maps they can still be quite happy with. As a result, breaking the GOP’s veto-proof three-fifths supermajorities in either chamber is still going to be a major challenge for Democrats, much less actually gaining control of the legislature.
So it appears the North Carolina GOP plans grasp and claw for every shred of power it can gain. No surprise.
