SGLF, State Leaders File Amicus Brief In Alabama Redistricting Case
The State Government Leadership Foundation and state legislators from multiple states today filed an amicus brief in the case of Alabama v. United States Department of Commerce to weigh in on the ongoing legal battle to ensure accurate census data is used by states in the redistricting process.
The brief argues that the U.S. Department of Commerce’s decision to employ the “differential privacy” statistical method to create purposefully flawed census data will force states throughout the country to base their redistricting plans on incorrect data in violation of the Constitution. Allowing the federal government (the Defendants) to move forward with their use of differential privacy on census data will force a wave of litigation throughout the country challenging the legality and constitutionality of redistricting plans based on incorrect population numbers.
The SGLF and state legislators hope to accomplish three goals from this amicus brief:
Speed up the federal government’s release of census data so that states can have the proper time to engage in a thorough and thoughtful redistricting process
Ensure the accuracy of the census data used for redistricting so that it does not include statistical noise
Protect the rights of states to have control over their respective redistricting processes free from overreach by the federal government.
“The SGLF and its partners are committed to a fair and state-centered redistricting process,” said SGLF Executive Director Dee Duncan. “It is essential that the state of Alabama prevail in this suit so that states across the country can conduct redistricting in an orderly and accurate manner in accordance with their Constitutional mandate.”
The following state legislators signed on to the brief:
Louisiana Senate Majority Leader Sharon Hewitt
Minnesota House of Representatives Minority Leader Kurt Daudt
Mississippi House of Representatives Speaker Philip Gunn
Nevada Senator Ben Kieckhefer
Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat
Vermont House of Representatives Assistant Minority Leader Robert LaClair
A link the SGLF’s brief can be found HERE and a summary of the case from the American Redistricting Project can be found HERE.
