Supreme Court To Hear Arguments On Partisan Redistricting
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The U.S. Supreme Court has begun its new session and on Tuesday it will hear oral arguments in one of the country's most important cases. A decision could determine whose in control of state legislature.
This term, the U.S. Supreme Court will deal with religious freedom, employee rights and privacy in the digital age, but their biggest issue will be redistricting or gerrymandering.
"The issue in this case is districts that have been drawn to favor one political party or another," said Drexel Associate Law Professor Lisa Tucker.
Tucker says the case involves a fight over a Wisconsin district map. She says the court could, for the first time, impose limits on redistricting plans that provide a partisan advantage.
"This is really going to come down to is there a workable standard we can use."
Temple Law Professor Peter Spiro says many states, including Pennsylvania, have Republican legislative districts that could be vulnerable, particularly "snake districts"
"That don't coincide with any other jurisdictional boundaries and are clearly manipulated," he said.
With a full court this term, the justices could rule or they could leave it up to the legislature.