NC court sides with GOP, reversing map ruling
|
The North Carolina Supreme Court found that the state's courts can't resolve questions of partisan gerrymandering, overruling a previous decision that struck down the state's congressional district maps. When Democrats held a 4-3 majority on the court, they ruled the GOP-drawn maps were a partisan gerrymander. The court now has a 5-2 Republican majority and has reversed its finding. "Our constitution expressly assigns the redistricting authority to the General Assembly subject to explicit limitations in the text. Those limitations do not address partisan gerrymandering," state Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby wrote for the majority. "It is not within the authority of this Court to amend the constitution to create such limitations on a responsibility that is textually assigned to another branch." Broader implications: Republican lawmakers appealed the prior Democratic-majority court's decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has been considering the case on what is known as the "independent state legislature theory." That theory argues state courts and constitutions can't limit legislatures' power to regulate federal elections, The Hill's Zach Schonfeld explained. The case could have implications for federal election policies around the country. But with the North Carolina court's initial decision now overruled, "the U.S. Supreme Court could dismiss the appeal without reaching the merits," Schonfeld wrote. According to longtime Democratic attorney Marc Elias, whose law firm represented the plaintiffs in the North Carolina case, the state Supreme Court's ruling "is bad news for voters of North Carolina. BUT, with a conservative court in place, this will very likely prevent (or at least delay) the possible limiting of state court review of voter suppression laws elsewhere." Read the North Carolina opinion here |
|
|
Welcome to Evening Report! I'm Amee LaTour, catching you up from the afternoon and what's coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here. |
|
|
- The Hill's Nathaniel Weixel gives a rundown of the week in abortion policy around the country, from new restrictions to new protections in the states.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) is the latest to call for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) to resign, saying the senator's absence has allowed the GOP to push through legislation and hold up the confirmation of judges.
The White House announced the launch of the Alternatives, Rehabilitation, and Reentry Strategic Plan and said 31 non-violent drug offenders will have their sentences commuted.
|
|
|
First Republic Bank shares drop
|
Shares of First Republic Bank were dropping fast Friday morning following a poor earnings report earlier this week, according to multiple reports. "First Republic has faced serious financial pressure and fears from markets and regulators" since March, The Hill's Sylvan Lane wrote. Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank collapsed last month, while several larger banks recently gave First Republic $30 billion to back up deposits. More from Lane: "Like SVB, the vast majority of First Republic's shares are over the FDIC's [Federal Deposit Insurance Corp] deposit insurance threshold and the bank is responsible for steep unrealized losses on their Treasury Department bondholdings." Read more here |
|
|
House passes solar tariff resolution
|
The House passed a resolution to resume tariffs on solar imports that the Biden administration had suspended. "Despite the Democratic Senate majority, the resolution is likely to clear the upper chamber as well," The Hill's Zack Budryk wrote, noting three Democratic senators — Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Ron Wyden (Ore.) — have said they'll support it. The White House has said the president will veto the resolution if it gets to his desk. The tariffs apply to imports from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, "which together comprise about 80 percent of domestic panel supplies," Budryk wrote. "Resuming the tariffs would be another blow to the domestic solar industry, which has warned it could be devastating to U.S. manufacturing." The resolution passed the House on a 221-202 vote, with support from 12 Democrats. |
|
|
Fed blames oversight, management for SVB collapse
|
A Federal Reserve report attributes the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank to "a perfect storm of incompetent management, insufficient supervision and weak regulations," The Hill's Karl Evers-Hillstrom wrote. |
|
|
Congressional Dads Caucus wants more diaper changing tables
|
The Congressional Dads Caucus sent a letter to the House Administration Committee requesting more diaper changing tables in the House office buildings' bathrooms. The Capitol "is not designed for working parents," the caucus wrote. |
|
|
Calls for Supreme Court ethics reforms
|
The Hill's Zach Schonfeld looks at the lawmakers and judicial watchdog groups calling for Supreme Court ethics reforms in the wake of ProPublica's report on trips Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas accepted and did not disclose. |
|
|
"Want a sensible democracy? Look down under" — Will Marshall, president and founder of the Progressive Policy Institute. (Read here) "For feds, hybrid work policies should focus on delivering results for the public" — Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service. (Read here) |
|
|
557 days until the presidential election. |
|
|
Saturday at 8 p.m.: The White House Correspondents' Association Dinner Events surrounding the dinner are in full swing. Check out a list of events around town here and stay with TheHill.com this weekend for more coverage of the weekend's festivities. |
|
|
There a story you think should be getting more attention? Something people should be talking about? Drop me a line: ALaTour@thehill.com |
|
|
1625 K Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 | © 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. |
|
|
|
If you believe this has been sent to you in error, please safely unsubscribe.
No comments:
Post a Comment