U.S. PIRG Statement on Rucho v. Common Cause

U.S. PIRG

Today, in Rucho vs. Common Cause  the Supreme Court decided not to rule on the issue of partisan gerrymandering.  While the decision is deeply disappointing, it serves as a reminder that the problems of our democracy must be solved with the tools of our democracy. 

Our elected officials at the state and federal level need to continue the fight for fair representation. This ruling, bad as it is, explicitly states that legislatures can take action and pass laws to  eliminate partisan gerrymanders. And there is real momentum in the states to do just that. In 2018 alone, five states passed redistricting reform with broad bi-partisan support. Reforms like non-partisan redistricting commissions are proven to effectively eliminate partisan gerrymanders.

We need to build on the momentum of state reforms to end gerrymandering and ensure that it is the voters who are picking their representatives, not the other way around.