ANNAPOLIS, MD—A Maryland judge on Friday tossed out the General Assembly’s newly drawn Congressional district map, calling it an “extreme partisan gerrymander.”
The decision represents a victory for Republicans who alleged that Democrats in the Maryland General Assembly were out to silence their votes.
Maryland Court of Appeals Judge Lynne A. Battaglia has ruled the 2021 plan violates Maryland’s Free Election Clause of the Maryland Declaration of Rights.
WBAL-TV reports that the judge sent the map back to the General Assembly to develop a new plan that is compliant to the state constitution and the Voting Rights Act by March 30. A hearing is scheduled for April 1st.
A spokeswoman for the Maryland Attorney General’s Office said the office is still reviewing the decision and that it had not made a decision about whether to appeal, according to The Washington Post.
“For nearly eight years, we have been fighting to end the gerrymandering monopoly that has for too long been a shameful legacy of our state,” said Governor Larry Hogan on Friday. “This ruling is a monumental victory for every Marylander who cares about protecting our democracy, bringing fairness to our elections, and putting the people back in charge. It puts in plain view the partisan, secretive, and rigged process that led to the legislature’s illegal and unconstitutional maps.”
“I call on the General Assembly to immediately pass the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission maps that were written with accountability and transparency,” Governor Hogan added. “This is an historic milestone in our fight to clean up the political process in our state, and ensure that the voices of the people we are elected to serve are finally heard.”
In December, Hogan vetoed the maps created and approved by the General Assembly.
Fifth District Councilman David Marks also applauded Friday’s decision.
“I applaud Judge Lynne A. Battaglia’s rejection of the Maryland Congressional map, an embarrassing proposal that splinters Baltimore County among multiple House districts to achieve an 8-to-0 Democratic majority,” said Councilman Marks. “The map stands in sharp contrast to the recently-approved County Council map that is bipartisan, compact, and respects community boundaries.”
“As I have often pointed out, where were ‘good government’ groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union and others who attacked the County Council map while ignoring this Congressional proposal which reeks of partisanship and unfairness,” Marks added. “One wonders why.”
In December, the Princeton Gerrymandering Project published its ‘F’ rating for the gerrymandered maps drawn up in secret by legislative leaders. They gave an “A” rating to the maps that had been drawn up by the Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission.
Photo by Sora Shimazaki from Pexels
