GA is passing legislation to over step state Attorney General (title, sunny)

[Francois]

Originally Posted by Carolina_native

PLEASE!!

Democrats gerrymandered this state for decades! Everyone knows this.

Not to the degree this current crop has done. In the "Democratic-gerrymandered" 2000 maps, our congressional representation was 7-6 D-R, which pretty accurately sums up the split of the population in NC.

Now the Republican gerrymander has made it 4-9, even with Democratic candidates getting more votes! Don't tell me that's comparable to past redistricting maps! At the state level, Democrats have been packed into districts with in some cases a 28% advantage, while most of the Republican-favoring districts have around 5%, just enough to win with a diluted Democratic population. I am very surprised those passed muster with the DOJ.

[Vatnos]

Originally Posted by Carolina_native

PLEASE!!

Democrats gerrymandered this state for decades! Everyone knows this.

Not for the past 30 years. Our state government was evenly split and that reflected the way the state voted. This, quite frankly, is a gross exaggeration conservatives will use to justify subverting democracy.

If you think because democrats gerrymandered back in the early 20th century that you deserve a few decades of gerrymandering... do you also think that because black people were enslaved in this state for hundreds of years that they deserve to enslave us right back, as retribution? Please.

[Carolina_native]

Originally Posted by Francois

Not to the degree this current crop has done. In the "Democratic-gerrymandered" 2000 maps, our congressional representation was 7-6 D-R, which pretty accurately sums up the split of the population in NC.

Now the Republican gerrymander has made it 4-9, even with Democratic candidates getting more votes! Don't tell me that's comparable to past redistricting maps! At the state level, Democrats have been packed into districts with in some cases a 28% advantage, while most of the Republican-favoring districts have around 5%, just enough to win with a diluted Democratic population. I am very surprised those passed muster with the DOJ.

I knew it would be said "but when the Democrats did it, it was ok because of x y or z".

[afonega1]

Originally Posted by MikeyKid

Exactly... I've read that post like 3 times and it floors me every time. Talk about coming out of an echo chamber.

It's amazing - frankly, it's easily in the top 3 political posts I've ever read on this board. Breitbart, Beck, and the Oxy addict would be so proud. lol

I third that!I thought I was reading that wrong.I just knew that SURELY I did not comprehend what he wrote!LOL

[Vatnos]

Originally Posted by Carolina_native

I knew it would be said "but when the Democrats did it, it was ok because of x y or z".

Many progressives in NC called for the dems to set up independent commissions to draw districts, but there was an ideological split between the conservative democrats in eastern NC which dominated state politics and the liberal dems in the major cities, which have always been a minority in state gov't. Suffice it to say, progressivism has been held hostage in this state by the gerrymandering party for decades, and now that the mantle has been passed to Republicans, they will continue the fine tradition of governing a majority that opposes them.

Not surprising to see conservatives are in favor of gerrymandering though. They do know that's the only way they can win anymore.

[Carolina_native]

Originally Posted by Vatnos

Many progressives in NC called for the dems to set up independent commissions to draw districts, but there was an ideological split between the conservative democrats in eastern NC which dominated state politics and the liberal dems in the major cities, which have always been a minority in state gov't. Suffice it to say, progressivism has been held hostage in this state by the gerrymandering party for decades, and now that the mantle has been passed to Republicans, they will continue the fine tradition of governing a majority that opposes them.

Not surprising to see conservatives are in favor of gerrymandering though. They do know that's the only way they can win anymore.

"governing a majority that opposes them?" Remember NC voted statewide for Romney and McCrory.

[Vatnos]

Originally Posted by Carolina_native

"governing a majority that opposes them?" Remember NC voted statewide for Romney and McCrory.

It voted for Romney by a 2% margin, not a staggering amount. There is quite a large progressive population in the state, and while some of them weren't motivated enough to vote for Obama last time around, democrats still outnumber Republicans by a sizeable margin in this state.

-Republicans won 2% more votes in the NC Senate. Yet they control 2/3rds of the chamber.
-Republicans won 0.1% more votes in the NC House of Representatives yet again they control 2/3rds of that chamber.
-Democrats won 2% more votes for Congressional seats in NC yet Republicans have 9 of the 13 seats.

The point being that this is a moderate state. It always has been. But one party thinks it can buy the state's elections and then gerrymander the districts and get away with it, and the very radical agenda that party is passing isn't remotely in line with the state's overall values. A lot of people who don't normally care about politics are really ticked off now. If it had just been one or two things, the republican GA would've been safe probably. If it had just been the gun legislation, just the tax legislation, it might've gone down smoothly, but they pushed way too far. They're acting like this is Mississippi or Oklahoma and they can just get away with closing every abortion clinic, reducing the early voting window, repealing the Racial Justice Act, ending same-day registration--something that had bipartisan support and that NC received praise from the rest of the country for, taxing families of college students that vote--just for voting, and reducing public school teacher salaries to the lowest in the nation. It's too much. There will be hell to pay for that in 2014.

[Maabus1999]

Originally Posted by Carolina_native

"governing a majority that opposes them?" Remember NC voted statewide for Romney and McCrory.

A 2% win does not match the "super-majority" in the legislature.

Districting needs to be taken away from the legislature no matter the party. Half the time they draw maps not only help their party but to help themselves stay in party and not do a damn thing to help out the State. Political welfare.

Independent commission is about the only way a truly representative government will be had.

[LLN]

Well, I don't believe the attorney general is part of the judicial branch to begin with...but then again my k-12 education was in NC so all I know/don''t know is pretty suspect at this point.

[Hawknest]

Originally Posted by SunnyKayak

Unhappy with state attorney general Roy Cooper opposition to some of the laws the Republican-controlled General Assembly has passed, legislators want the option to mount their own defense when the legislation leads to lawsuits. A provision accomplishing that was added to an unrelated bill in the final rush toward the end of session and was given final approval in the early morning hours Friday.

Interesting, but why post it here?