Tag Archives: SCOTUS

SCOTUS punts on non-Texas redistricting cases

Posted on June 19, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The Magic 8 ballSCOTUS says Reply hazy, try again later in the two partisan gerrymandering cases before it. On Monday, the court punted two major political redistricting cases: Gill v. Whitford, a challenge to Wisconsin’s Republican gerrymander, and Benisek v. Lamone, a … Continue reading →

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Omnibus lawsuit against anti-abortion laws

Posted on June 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Talk about going big. Two years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned major provisions of Texas’ omnibus House Bill 2, abortion rights groups want to use that decision to take down years’ worth of anti-abortion legislation, before the court makeup changes. In … Continue reading →

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The Ohio voter purge case

Posted on June 13, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I refer to the Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute case that was decided by SCOTUS on Monday. Here’s a long reading list if you want to get up to speed on it: SCOTUSBlog Pema Levy Mark Joseph Stern Kira … Continue reading →

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Stadiums and sports betting

Posted on May 19, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Sheryl Ring at Fangraphs adds another dimension to the SCOTUS sports betting decision story. But there is another incentive for states to legalize sports betting aside from just basic tax revenue. We’ve talked about ballpark deals, particularly in the context … Continue reading →

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The “sanctuary cities” connection to the SCOTUS sports betting decision

Posted on May 17, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The state’s rights aspect of this ruling may have other applications. Seven of the nine justices — five conservatives and two liberals — backed a robust reading of the Constitution’s 10th Amendment and a limit on the federal government’s power … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS rules for sports betting

Posted on May 16, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Gamblers rejoice. The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed all states to legalize sports gambling. But a ban in Texas remains in place, and recent history suggests that state leaders will be in no rush to lift it. The high court … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS hears the redistricting arguments

Posted on April 25, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s in their hands now. Much of the argument concerned the issue of whether the case was properly before the justices at all. Last year, a three-judge panel of the Federal District Court for the Western District of Texas, in … Continue reading →

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Today is Texas redistricting day at SCOTUS

Posted on April 24, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron sets the table. The nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court will take their seats Tuesday morning to hear a case that could remake the political map of Texas. Hidden in the legalese of “interlocutory injunctions” and “statutory … Continue reading →

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Anti-same sex employee benefits lawsuit moved back to state court

Posted on April 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

On and on we go. Nearly three years after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, the city of Houston continues to battle for the rights of its gay workers. On Tuesday, a judge struck down Houston’s attempts to … Continue reading →

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It’s going to be redistricting time for Texas at SCOTUS soon

Posted on April 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s an update. In their latest brief to the U.S. Supreme Court, the voting and minority rights groups challenging Texas’ political maps painted Republican state lawmakers as “opportunistically inconsistent in their treatment of appearance versus reality.” Pointing to the lawmakers’ … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS will hear oral arguments in the Texas redistricting case in April

Posted on March 2, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

On April 24, to be specific, according to Michael Li on Twitter. Both the Congressional and state legislative cases will be consolidated into one for the arguments. That means we should have a ruling by the end of June. See … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS will not hear Texas partisan gerrymandering appeal

Posted on January 17, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Not really a big deal. Texas, for now, will not join the list of states fighting in court over the limits of partisan gerrymandering. As it considers cases out of other states over whether extreme practices of partisan gerrymandering can … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS will take up Texas redistricting appeal

Posted on January 13, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

As the man once said, hold onto your butts. Further extending a drawn-out legal battle, the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a case over whether Texas’ congressional and House district boundaries discriminate against voters of color. The … Continue reading →

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Yet another ruling against North Carolina’s Congressional map

Posted on January 11, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Because redistricting litigation is always of interest. A panel of federal judges struck down North Carolina’s congressional map on Tuesday, condemning it as unconstitutional because Republicans had drawn the map seeking a political advantage. The ruling was the first time … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS to consider Texas redistricting case in January

Posted on December 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Batten down the hatches. The U.S. Supreme Court will meet Jan. 5 to consider whether to take up a case on how Texas draws its congressional and statehouse maps. In a 5-4 decision split along ideological lines in September, the … Continue reading →

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Voter ID back before the Fifth Circuit

Posted on December 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

And the worst judge on the Fifth Circuit does her thing. In Texas’ bid to keep its voter identification law intact, it was its legal foes — lawyers representing voting and civil rights groups and individual voters of color — … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS declines to hear Houston’s appeal of same-sex marriage lawsuit

Posted on December 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Disappointing, but nowhere close to the end of the line. Denying the city of Houston’s request, the U.S. Supreme Court will not review a June decision by the Texas Supreme Court, which ruled that the landmark decision legalizing same-sex marriage … Continue reading →

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State has not appealed the voting rights case on language interpreters

Posted on December 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Texas has spent years defending its voting laws in court, regularly appealing rulings that found state lawmakers violated the rights of their voters. So when a federal appellate court in August ruled against the state’s restrictions on language interpreters at the ballot … Continue reading →

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Sports betting at SCOTUS

Posted on November 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

A case you might want to watch. Internet gambling in the United States has been limited to just three states since it began in 2013, but it could soon get a big boost from an unlikely source: the U.S. Supreme … Continue reading →

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Paxton officially appeals redistricting ruling to SCOTUS, part 2

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The state House version. Attorney General Ken Paxton on Friday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a lower court ruling that ordered nine of Texas’ statehouse districts redrawn after being found discriminatory. In August, a three-judge panel in a … Continue reading →

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Paxton officially appeals redistricting ruling to SCOTUS

Posted on October 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. Attorney General Ken Paxton asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday to take up an appeal of a lower court ruling that invalidated two of Texas’ congressional districts. “It’s fitting that the Supreme Court hear this case, … Continue reading →

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Kirkland for Supreme Court

Posted on October 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Houston State District Court Judge Steven Kirkland has announced his candidacy for a seat on the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court, making him the first openly gay candidate to run for the state’s highest civil court. Kirkland, a Democrat, is … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS takes up partisan gerrymandering

Posted on October 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

So much coverage on this potentially ground-breaking and earth-shaking case. Here’s the Washington Post: Opponents of political gerrymandering had reason for optimism at the Supreme Court on Tuesday, with Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, the likely swing vote, appearing more in … Continue reading →

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Don’t expect any further redistricting activity this year

Posted on September 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Michael Li explains it all to you. In one-line orders today (here and here), the Supreme Court rejected a request by plaintiffs in the Texas redistricting case that the Supreme Court expedite appeals by the State of Texas. The plaintiffs’ … Continue reading →

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City goes to SCOTUS over same-sex spousal benefits

Posted on September 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The City of Houston and Mayor Sylvester Turner filed a petition Friday asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a decision that came down earlier this summer, concluding that states did not have to provide publicly funded benefits to … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS puts new maps on hold

Posted on September 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. The U.S. Supreme Court has dealt a serious setback to those hoping Texas would see new congressional and House district maps ahead of the 2018 elections. In separate orders issued Tuesday, the high court blocked two lower court rulings … Continue reading →

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Plaintiffs ask SCOTUS to back down in redistricting fight

Posted on September 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This week’s update: The challengers told the justices that the Supreme Court lacks the power to review the state’s request because there is nothing to put on hold: The lower court has neither blocked the state’s current redistricting plan nor … Continue reading →

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State House map paused as well

Posted on September 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise, given the previous order. A lower court ruling that invalidated parts of the Texas House state map has been temporarily blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court. Responding swiftly to an appeal by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS puts a pause on the Congressional redistricting ruling

Posted on August 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Hopefully, just a temporary one. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday put on hold a lower court ruling that invalidated two of Texas’ 36 congressional districts. In an order signed by Justice Samuel Alito, the high court indicated it wanted … Continue reading →

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Will we have maps in time for March primaries?

Posted on August 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe. It’s up to the courts. State officials insisted Friday they expect to stop the court challenges on appeal, and reverse Texas’ losing streak on the voting-rights lawsuits, legal experts predicted Texas could end up back under federal supervisions of … Continue reading →

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Texas appeals voter ID ruling

Posted on August 27, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

On to the next phase. As promised, Attorney General Ken Paxton appealed what he called an “outrageous” federal court decision tossing out the state’s new voter ID law. In a 25-page filing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the … Continue reading →

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Court throws out State House map

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Once more, with feeling. Parts of the Texas House map must be redrawn ahead of the 2018 elections because lawmakers intentionally discriminated against minorities in crafting several legislative districts, federal judges ruled on Thursday. A three-judge panel in San Antonio … Continue reading →

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Voter ID law thrown out

Posted on August 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Fantastic. A federal judge has tossed out a new law softening Texas’ strict voter identification requirements. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos on Wednesday ruled that Senate Bill 5, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in June, doesn’t absolve Texas lawmakers … Continue reading →

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We could get a special session on redistricting

Posted on August 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

At least, that’s what State Sen. Dawn Buckingham thinks. State Sen. Dawn Buckingham, R-Lakeway, expects the Legislature to be called back for another special session — this time to tackle the state’s congressional map. Monday evening at the Central Texas … Continue reading →

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