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BREAKING: Federal court holds that portions of Michigan’s congressional, state house, and state senate maps are unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders. Ruling was unanimous. Decision here: electionlawblog.org/wp-content/upl… #fairmaps 1/ 
As the court notes, today’s decision is part of a growing chorus of lower court opinions invalidating partisan gerrymanders. At this point, only the Supreme Court still remains undecided (and that could change by June). #fairmaps 2/
The court in MI ruled for challengers on both equal protection and First Amendment grounds - though some districts were struck down only on the First Amendment grounds. #fairmaps 3/
As to what comes next, the court has given the State of Michigan until August 1 to adopt new congressional and legislative plans, which the court then will evaluate. #fairmaps 4/
If the state fails to enact a plan - and remember that while Rs control the MI legislature, the state now has a Democratic governor with veto power - or if the remedial plans are still unconstitutional, then the court has said it will draw new maps. #fairmaps 5/
To assist it in evaluating new maps and potentially drawing them, the court has said that it will appoint a special master and asked the parties to submit proposed names of special masters by July 1. #fairmaps 6/
All told, the plaintiffs were challenging 34 congressional, state house & state senate districts (originally they had challenged the maps in their entirety but narrowed their claims during the course of litigation). The court struck down all on 1st Amend grounds. #fairmaps 7/
Here’s the list of Michigan districts that have been found to be partisan gerrymanders & ordered redrawn 👇#fairmaps 8/
More background on the Michigan partisan gerrymandering case available at our case page: brennancenter.org/legal-work/lea… #fairmaps 9/
This is the fifth decision striking down maps on partisan gerrymandering grounds in recent years.
- WI state house (2016) (though remanded by SCOTUS)
- NC congressional (2018)
- MD congressional (2018)
- PA congressional (2018) (by state court). #fairmaps 10/
- WI state house (2016) (though remanded by SCOTUS)
- NC congressional (2018)
- MD congressional (2018)
- PA congressional (2018) (by state court). #fairmaps 10/
BTW “remanded” in the last tweet means sent back down to the district court for further proceedings. At present, the WI partisan gerrymandering case is set for trial in mid-July. #fairmaps 11/
In addition to these cases, we’re also waiting on a ruling in a partisan gerrymandering case challenging Ohio’s congressional map that was tried earlier this year. That ruling in theory could come any day now. #fairmaps 12/
P.S. Thank you to the court in Michigan for not doing a Friday COB news dump. #fairmaps 14/
