New York Leaders Back Fair Redistricting in Three U.S. Supreme Court Briefs

NEW YORK, NY (03/02/2015)(readMedia)-- New York State, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, Former NY Attorney General Dennis Vacco, and U.S. Representatives. Richard Hanna and Tom Reed each signed "friend of the court" briefs backing fair and independent redistricting alternatives in a U.S. Supreme court case argued this morning. Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC) is a challenge to a ballot initiative passed by Arizona voters in 2000 creating a citizen commission to draw state legislative and congressional districts in a transparent and unbiased process. The Legislature seeks to take power to draw congressional districts back from the AIRC, which risks the return of redistricting based on political games instead of fair representation for citizens.

New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman joined 12 other states attorneys general in a brief arguing that a victory for the Arizona Legislature would have troubling consequences for citizen-driven reform across America. The brief asks that: "At the very least, this Court should avoid any broad holding that would call into question States' ability generally to use popular democracy to adopt laws regulating congressional elections."

Bloomberg and Vacco joined a bipartisan group of current and former state and local elected officials. This brief argued that a ruling against the AIRC "would impede the development of state tailored solutions to gerrymandering, hinder any innovative federal election regulation that does not begin and end with State legislatures, and thwart the right of voters to participate meaningfully in the political process."

A brief signed by a bipartisan group of Members of Congress, including Rep. Richard Hanna, added that: "Full consideration confirms that popular regulation of congressional elections to guard against potential manipulation of congressional district boundaries by incumbent state legislators is fully consistent with the Constitution's core purpose of ensuring a direct link between the People and their representatives to the national government."

Common Cause National Redistricting Director Kathay Feng issued the following statement following oral arguments:

"The Arizona Legislature is arguing that politicians have a right to draw their own district lines – that's like asking the foxes to guard the statehouse.

"The Supreme Court Justices are rightly concerned about political gerrymandering, and the people's right to innovate to address this problem in each state. Fourteen friend of the court briefs were filed in support of the Arizona Redistricting Commission. The represented states, governors, organizations and individuals come from every part of the political spectrum. We agree that our democracy is founded on the right of voters to choose our representatives, not the arrogant notion that politicians have a right to pick their voters."

Common Cause signed one of 14 "friend of the court" briefs supporting the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. Common Cause Illinois signed a separate brief with former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar and other reformers in the state. Common Cause has fought for four decades to secure fair, transparent, and inclusive redistricting rules in the states, winning major reforms in states such as Arizona and California.