Court strikes down Virginia discriminatory congressional map
A federal court in Virginia struck down the state’s congressional map on Tuesday, October 7, 2014. The panel found that the state legislature’s decision to pack African Americans into the 3rd Congressional District, a district controlled by Democrats, was unconstitutional because it was motivated solely by race – a violation of the 14thAmendment. The court ordered the GOP-controlled legislature to redraw the map by April 1, 2015. Democrats and academics believe that this case, though not expected to have a major impact on state politics, could aid Democrats in states like California who are engaged in their own redistricting battles. Read the full story here.
