CLC to Supreme Court: Uphold Our System of Checks and Balances

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Issues

Washington, DCPaul Smith, senior vice president at Campaign Legal Center (CLC), issued the following statement ahead of Supreme Court oral arguments in Moore v. Harper, which will take place tomorrow morning:

“Checks and balances are a cornerstone of our democracy and prevent any one person, party or legislative body from abusing power. The extreme “independent state legislature” theory would hand state legislators virtually unchecked power to gerrymander congressional districts and to change election rules to undermine the freedom to vote.

State courts are one of the last avenues left for voters to challenge partisan gerrymandering, and we urge the Supreme Court to uphold our system of checks and balances by preserving the vital role state courts and state constitutions play in facilitating a transparent, inclusive and accountable democracy.”

In October, CLC and eight other organizations spanning the political spectrum filed a friend-of-the-court brief encouraging the Supreme Court to preserve the role of state courts and independent redistricting commissions in making congressional district maps more democratic and fair.

More information on CLC’s amicus brief and the dangers of the independent state legislature theory can be found here.