Panel says Maryland's congressional district map is unconstitutional, must be redrawn for 2020
BALTIMORE _ A three-judge federal court panel ruled Wednesday that the state unconstitutionally drew the boundary lines for Maryland's 6th congressional district to benefit Democrats, and banned the state from using that map in elections moving forward.
Because the congressional district maps are interconnected, the decision effectively requires the state to redraw all the district boundaries.
The panel ruled in favor of seven Republican plaintiffs in the redistricting case who argued that their influence in the 6th District was diluted in violation of their First Amendment rights.
The court barred the state from using the 2011 redistricting plan _ which established the current map _ in the future and ordered it to adopt a new plan for use in the 2020 congressional elections.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan hailed the opinion. "This is a victory for the vast majority of Marylanders who want free and fair elections and the numerous advocates from across the political spectrum who have been fighting partisan gerrymandering in our state for decades," he said in a statement.
"With this unanimous ruling, the federal court is confirming what we in Maryland have known for a long time _ that we have the most gerrymandered districts in the country, they were drawn this way for partisan reasons, and they violate Marylanders' constitutional rights," the governor said.
_The Baltimore Sun
