Statement on court order for new legislative maps

Progress NC Action released the following statement on Tuesday in response to a three-judge panel’s ruling ordering the General Assembly to draw new maps by the end of August:

“Legislative Republicans have run out of excuses for their racially-gerrymandered districts which were always designed to jam as many African-American voters as possible into as few districts as possible in a shameful scheme minimize their voice in state government,” said Gerrick Brenner, executive director of Progress NC Action. “But even with yet another ruling against the GOP, it remains to be seen whether this unconstitutionally-elected legislature will actually draw fair maps that do not discriminate against minority voters. This illegitimate General Assembly has waged a multi-year campaign to dismantle democracy in North Carolina through racial gerrymandering, unconstitutional assaults on voting rights, and blatantly politicizing the courts. This GOP-led General Assembly must end their war on democracy. Lawmakers should pause all proposals to change voting rules and judicial elections until after the November 2018 election, when they will finally be elected based on fair districts which do not discriminate against African-Americans.”