Statement: Gerrymandered Legislature Ruling

On August 19, North Carolina Supreme Court ruled that a racially gerrymandered legislature does not have unlimited authority to change NC’s constitution. The North Carolina Supreme court held that the North Carolina Constitution does in fact impose limits on a racially gerrymandered legislature’s authority to begin the process of amending the constitution. This case was remanded back to trial court for further research and guidance. 

This ruling, coming from the tireless efforts of our partners at Forward Justice, Southern Environmental Law Center, and NC NAACP, is a historic moment for North Carolinians, especially in the name of our democracy. 

As we know, at the hands of this same unconstitutionally constituted general assembly, North Carolina is one of the most gerrymandered states in our nation. This midnight-hour attempt by the same far right-wing-controlled legislature to initiate an amendment process of our state’s constitution, with full knowledge that 2/3 of our districts fall out of compliance with the Equal Protection Clause, was nothing more than a racist attempt at a power grab. 

This is why we continue to stand on the importance of having fair and impartial North Carolina Courts when it comes to defending our democracy. In order to ensure that impartial defense remains steadfast, it is critical that we participate in our upcoming midterm elections this fall to protect our state against the NCGA’s attempt to tip the scales of Justice. 

We celebrate this victory alongside our partners, but most importantly, the communities we serve.