SACRAMENTO - Assemblymember Luis Alejo (D-Salinas), Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, today praised the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous decision to uphold the principle of “one person, one vote,” which retains the current method of drawing state legislative districts that has been in place since the 1960s:
“Today’s decision was a huge victory for ensuring local communities are fairly represented in state legislatures across the nation,” Alejo said. “Elected officials represent all people in their districts, not just those who vote. This decision upholds the ‘one person, one vote’ principle, which dates back to the 1960s when the court ruled that state legislative districts must be drawn so they are equal in population. The challenge to this long-established principle was a thinly veiled attempt to weaken the power of minority voters and the nation’s highest court rejected it unanimously.”
The name of the case is Evenwell v. Abbott. The case originates from Texas, where a couple of voters filed suit to challenge the “one person, one vote concept,” arguing that legislative districts should be drawn based on registered voters only. A federal court panel in Austin originally rejected the challenge, but the plaintiffs appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court.
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Contact: Andrew Bird / Andrew.Bird@asm.ca.gov / (916) 319-2030
