Eight Republican congressmen from Michigan can intervene in a gerrymandering lawsuit filed by a women’s group and Democratic voters, a Sixth Circuit panel ruled Thursday. A district court panel had previously denied the lawmakers’ motion, citing a “significant likelihood of undue delay and prejudice.” The lawsuit, filed in December 2017 by the League of Women Voters and 11 Democratic voters against Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson, claimed Republican lawmakers unconstitutionally altered the state’s election map after the 2010 census.
Although statewide claims made by the plaintiffs were dismissed earlier this year, district-specific claims proceeded, prompting the congressmen’s motion for intervention.
The district court panel rejected the motion because of the possibility of delay, the “complex issues” raised by the suit, and the need for an “expeditious resolution of the case.”
Full Article: Republicans Can Intervene in Michigan Redistricting Case.