WASHINGTON, D.C. — The dispute over the fringe independent state legislature theory must be resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court in time to prepare maps, ballots and election rules well in advance of the 2024 elections, according to briefing filed today by Common Cause in the مور ضد هاربر case.

“The Question Presented in this case is ‘important’ and it is ‘almost certain to keep arising until the Court definitively resolves it,’” the brief states, quoting Justice Brett Kavanaugh. “Petitioners’ independent state legislature theory calls into question hundreds of state constitutional provisions and as many (or more) election laws. … It is therefore exceptionally important that the Court address the Question Presented as quickly as possible.”

اقرأ الرسالة التكميلية الكاملة هنا.

The U.S. Supreme Court already requested supplemental briefing after the North Carolina Supreme Court decided to rehear the remedial decision in هاربر ضد هول, the underlying case to مور. It again requested briefing last week after the state court granted GOP lawmakers’ request to not only reverse its December 2022 decision (هاربر الثاني) protecting voters from partisan gerrymandering but to also overturn its February 2022 decision (Harper I) arguing the standard articulated in that matter was flawed.

The supplemental brief filed today by نيل كومار كاتيال، شريك في شركة هوجان لوفيلز and co-counsel with Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ) representing Plaintiff Common Cause, states the North Carolina Supreme Court’s ruling in هاربر should have no effect on Justices’ ability to rule in مور.

“Because of the two-year federal election cycle and the need to resolve election disputes well in advance of elections, it is not clear that this Court could resolve this issue with a different vehicle,” Katyal wrote in the briefing. “Dismissing this case would thus create a danger that the issue would evade this Court’s review yet again or that this Court would be required to address the issue in the context of an emergency application with limited briefing, no argument, and insufficient time to decide an issue of this importance.”

ودعا المدافعون عن حقوق التصويت مور إن حجة ISLT تشكل تهديداً خطيراً للديمقراطية. إن المشرعين الذين يعتنقون هذه النظرية يحرفون بند الانتخابات في دستور الولايات المتحدة ليؤكدوا أن الهيئات التشريعية للولايات وحدها لديها السلطة لتحديد كيفية رسم خرائط الدوائر الفيدرالية، وعلاوة على ذلك فإن محاكم الولايات لا يمكنها التدخل في هذه العملية، ولا يمكن إنفاذ دساتير الولايات إذا كانت تتعارض مع إرادة مجموعة من المشرعين الذين يسعون إلى ترسيخ سلطتهم.

“The U.S. Supreme Court should toss the nonsensical ‘independent state legislature theory’ into the dustbin where it belongs — and there’s no better time than now when we aren’t on the eve of a major election,” said Bob Phillips, Executive Director of Common Cause North Carolina. “The people of North Carolina deserve to know that our constitutional freedoms will withstand attacks by extremist politicians.”

قرار في مور is expected by the end of the Supreme Court’s term later this summer.

“Checks and balances are the foundation this nation was built on, and ensure that power rests with the people of this country,” said Kathay Feng, Common Cause’s Vice President of Programs. “The Supreme Court must rule on our case and extinguish this flimsy, dangerous attempt by power-crazed politicians to ignore the will of voters.”

“Even though the new majority on the NC Court has signaled it will no longer protect voters from legislative overreach, state courts and state constitutions can and should play a crucial role in protecting voting rights,” said هيلاري هاريس كلاين، المستشارة الأولى لحقوق التصويت في SCSJ. “The Court should take this opportunity to confirm these protections apply in all elections, and reject the ISLT once and for all.”

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تأسست منظمة التحالف الجنوبي للعدالة الاجتماعية في عام 2007، وهي تتعاون مع مجتمعات الملونين والمجتمعات المحرومة اقتصاديًا في الجنوب للدفاع عن حقوقهم السياسية والاجتماعية والاقتصادية وتعزيزها من خلال الجمع بين المناصرة القانونية والبحث والتنظيم والاتصالات. تعرف على المزيد على تحالف الجنوب وتابع عملنا على تغريد, فيسبوك، و انستجرام.

سبب مشترك هي منظمة شعبية غير حزبية مكرسة لدعم القيم الأساسية للديمقراطية الأمريكية. نحن نعمل على إنشاء حكومة منفتحة وصادقة وخاضعة للمساءلة تخدم المصلحة العامة؛ وتعزيز المساواة في الحقوق والفرص والتمثيل للجميع؛ وتمكين جميع الناس من إسماع أصواتهم في العملية السياسية.