Supreme Court's Impact on Redistricting and Representation

The U.S. Supreme Court has directed the Ohio Supreme Court to reconsider the legality of the state's congressional districts, following its ruling in a North Carolina redistricting case. The high court rejected an expansive version of the "independent state legislature theory" but stated that state courts must still act within "ordinary bounds" when reviewing laws governing federal elections. This is the fourth redistricting case the Supreme Court has addressed this month. Republican state lawmakers in Ohio argued that their state's highest court had overstepped its authority in striking down U.S. House districts enacted by GOP officials. The ACLU believes that if the Ohio Supreme Court faithfully applies the North Carolina decision, the districts should be invalidated again.