N.C. Supreme Court reverses redistricting and voter ID rulings!

Also bans felon voting in a win for Republicans.

RALEIGH, North Carolina (PNN) - April 28, 2023 - North Carolina’s state Supreme Court on Friday threw out previous rulings that had declared illegal both redistricting maps for excessive partisanship, Voter ID law, and ended voting rights for some felons.

Most notably, it reversed the map-drawing decision previously made when the court was majority Democrat and found the electoral districts drawn by GOP members were illegal.

Chief Justice Paul Newby, writing for the majority, wrote that there is “no judicially manageable standard by which to adjudicate partisan gerrymandering claims.”

“Courts are not intended to meddle in policy matters,” Newby wrote. “In its decision today, the Court returns to its tradition of honoring the constitutional roles assigned to each branch. This case is not about partisan politics but rather about realigning the proper roles of the judicial and legislative branches. Today we begin to correct course, returning the judiciary to its designated lane.”

The map-drawing ruling gives the Republicans - who hold a supermajority in the General Assembly - the chance to redraw the state’s congressional map for the 2024 election. Democrats and Republicans each hold seven of the state’s 14 seats in Congress. National Republicans are trying to hold onto a slim majority.

The North Carolina Supreme Court reversed a previous ruling, upholding the 2018 voter identification law that was earlier deemed racially discriminatory. The court emphasized the importance of adhering to the law rather than succumbing to political winds.

The General Assembly enacted the voter ID law following a November 2018 vote to include an ID requirement in the state constitution. The court argued that the law did not violate the North Carolina Constitution and ordered the trial court to dismiss the action with prejudice, meaning the ruling is final.

However, a federal lawsuit challenging the same voter ID law remains active.

The North Carolina Supreme Court has overruled lower court decisions that allowed felons who had completed active prison time but not their full sentences to vote.

The court stated that the state constitution ties voting rights to refraining from criminal misconduct and requires individuals with felony convictions to complete their sentences, including probation, parole, or post-release supervision, before regaining the right to vote.

The ruling garnered ire from Democrats, while Republicans celebrated the ruling. AP news said this is a huge victory for Republicans, with national implications.

NC Attorney General Josh Stein: “The Court’s ruling in Harper v. Hall today is a devastating blow to democracy. Our constitution is supposed to be a check on the power of the legislature. But these Republican justices have surrendered that role, taking power away from the people and giving it to an out-of-control gerrymandered Republican supermajority in the legislature. I will not stop fighting so the voters choose their representatives, not the other way around.”

NC House Speaker Tim Moore: “The decisions handed down today by the NC Supreme Court have ensured that our constitution and the will of the people of North Carolina are honored. Nearly five years after the voters of this state overwhelmingly voted in favor of photo ID at the polls, it has finally become the law of the land. We will fulfill our constitutional duty to redraw state house, senate, and congressional maps.”

NC Senate Leader Phil Berger: “For years plaintiffs and activist courts have manipulated our constitution to achieve policy outcomes that could not be won at the ballot box. Today’s rulings affirm that our constitution cannot be exploited to fit the political whims of Left-wing Democrats.”

U.S. Representative Wiley Nickel: “Make no mistake, the only real difference now is the makeup of the court, which enables the Republican majority in Raleigh to gerrymander our maps without repercussion and trample over the rights of voters across our state,” said Rep. Wiley Nickel. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Voters should choose their politicians. Politicians shouldn’t choose their voters. I’m committed to the continued fight for an end to partisan gerrymandering, and in Congress, will do everything I can to protect the right to vote for every single one of my constituents back home in North Carolina.”

Congressman Chuck Edwards: “As a member of the North Carolina State Senate who helped bring this bill forward, I say it’s high time the court has recognized the will of the people and restored common sense to our elections process. There is no good reason why an ID should not be necessary to perform our most sacred civic duty and participate in our democratic process.”