Statements on Moore v. Harper Ahead of Oral Argument from the National Redistricting Foundation, Common Cause, and the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters
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Jena Doyle
doyle@redistrictingfoundation.org
Statements on Moore v. Harper Ahead of Oral Argument from the National Redistricting Foundation, Common Cause, and the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters
As respondents in this appeal, these organizations are defending against this attack on our system of checks and balances.
Washington, D.C. — Tomorrow, the Supreme Court of the United States will hear oral argument in Moore v. Harper, an appeal filed by North Carolina Republicans that seeks to give state legislatures near-total control over federal election laws, including but not limited to congressional redistricting. The National Redistricting Foundation (NRF), the 501(c)(3) affiliate of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, is supporting the Harper respondents in this case alongside Common Cause and the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters (NCLCV).
Below are statements on behalf of the respondents:
National Redistricting Foundation (NRF):
“At its core, this appeal is a dangerous and extreme attempt to eliminate accountability for state legislatures interested in gerrymandering with impunity,” said Marina Jenkins, Director of Litigation and Policy for the NRF. “North Carolina’s power-hungry politicians are clearly over-reaching – challenging our bedrock systems of checks and balances as a response to a court appropriately telling them that their extreme gerrymandering offends the fundamental principles of democracy enshrined in their state constitution. With more than a century of precedent on our side and overwhelming bipartisan opposition to the petitioners’ argument, this should be an easy case for the Court to decide. How the Court rules in the case will show the American people where it stands on the values of institutionalism and our democracy.”
Common Cause:
“Moore v. Harper threatens to upend our system of checks and balances and allow politicians to manipulate elections,” said Kathay Feng, National Redistricting Director for Common Cause. “No one branch of government should have outsized power in America’s system of government, and bucking this long-held tenet of our democracy would undermine people’s ability to freely vote and shape the future of our communities and our country in a way that reflects the people’s will.”
North Carolina League of Conservation Voters (NCLCV):
“We believe every voter has the right to cast a ballot for the environment in free and fair elections and have their voice heard,” said Dan Crawford, Director of Governmental Affairs for NCLCV. “That’s why we filed our lawsuit in November 2021 challenging the legislature’s gerrymandered districts. Fortunately, checks and balances prevailed: The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled that the legislature had violated our state constitution and that the gerrymanders must be replaced. Moore v. Harper is about reaffirming a fundamental principle—that constitutional checks and balances apply to state legislatures and federal-election laws. Winning this case is vital to ensuring free and fair elections, which is ultimately how lawmakers are held accountable and how our organization stands up for clean air and water for the people of North Carolina.”
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