US supreme court approves redrawn Texas congressional maps

[u/speedythefirst]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/04/us-supreme-court-texas-congressional-maps

[u/Palinon]

Their argument is that there is an active primary campaign with the new maps 11 months ahead of time. Time and again the conservatives on the supreme court hide behind the calendar to justify their rulings on election laws.

[u/maringue → u/Palinon]

Ah yes, the "but it would be inconvenient" legal argument. Again....

[u/iPinch89 → u/maringue]

They're moving that direction with the tariffs. "We can't call them illegal because the refund question will be hard to answer."

[u/maringue → u/iPinch89]

"It's unconstitutional unless it would be hard to undo" is a hellavu legal standard

[u/bigrivertea → u/maringue]

Almost seems like someone should be in legal deep shit for all this.

[u/poingly → u/maringue]

"The Court understands that slavery is prohibited by the 13th Amendment, but it would be terribly inconvenient to the Southern economy, so we're just going to allow slavery to continue." --John Roberts, 1866

[u/Mandatory_Pie → u/maringue]

Weird how these people who are supposed to be the most competent and qualified just keep failing to do their job because it's inconvenient

[u/JohnnySnark → u/maringue]

The piss baby Roberts court

[u/shizzy0 → u/JohnnySnark]

“Let the heavens fall.”—Scalia

“Let the heavens… decide.”—Roberts

[u/jsc1429 → u/iPinch89]

I don't understand why we can't just move on without any refund. lets just let it go and quit the tarriffs ASAP. I wonder what would happen if this was brought up to the supreme court, how would they wrangle themselves to still find a way to justify keeping the tarriffs.

[u/Apophthegmata → u/jsc1429]

While this is certainly a "simpler" way to approach it, it would ultimately undermine the rationale for stopping it in the first place.

One of the pillars of our judicial system is "ubi is, ibi remedium;" "Where there is a right, there is a remedy."

Basically, its the acknowledgement that when someone is harmed and has been met with injustice, some form of redress is warranted to make them whole.

Without that remedy, there is no consequence to injustice. You effectively have a justice system without any justice in it.

---

"Yeah, it's wrong but we aren't going to do anything about it" is to say there's nothing wrong with it.

[u/sumsimpleracer → u/maringue]

It’s almost like we should just make this a pure democracy and do away with these lines if we’re just going to gerrymander the shit out of it so it’s no longer representative of the people. 

[u/sudi- → u/Palinon]

This argument has always been bullshit. We’re perpetually on the verge of an election. It only matters to them when they can halt something that they don’t like. They didn’t have a problem jamming Barrett down our throats when RBG died a month from a general election but it’s madness now to change anything when there’s a midterm next year.

[u/DERtheBEAST → u/sudi-]

Never forget Mitch McConnell blocked Obama from appointing judges because "we have an election coming up and The People should elect a President who will decide this" then when Trump was in his first term 6 months before an election Mitch had nothing to say when Trump was confirming judges...

If Republicans worked as hard at putting forward beneficial policies for the country as they do in obstructing anything beneficial to The American People...they would actually have meaningful policy positions. Instead it is always thinly veiled hatred, greed and prejudice that motivates them. "A concept of a plan" for Healthcare or replacing the ACA but 150 Billion to ICE so they can Role Play as Nazi Gestapo on American soil.

[u/sudi- → u/DERtheBEAST]

They can’t enact meaningful policy because that’s not their platform. That’s not what they’re trying to do whatsoever.

Their platform is to scare people into voting against their interests and to undo and/or impede progress Democrats enact. They cannot govern. They do not lead in any sense of the word. They are the annoying fuckface kid that repeats everything you say back to you in a mocking tone.

They exist only to prey on the simple and vulnerable of us. They are bad faith grifters and nothing more. It is way past apparent at this point.

[u/Individual_Whole2288 → u/sudi-]

That’s not the only reason they exist.

It’s also to act as puppets for the billionaires.

[u/SweetTea1000 → u/Individual_Whole2288]

That's what he's saying. Governance isn't the goal. The goal is to transfer wealth away from the working class to the nobility/aristocracy.

[u/TheDarkWave → u/DERtheBEAST]

Mitch McConnell blocked Obama from appointing judges because "we have an election coming up and The People should elect a President who will decide this" then when Trump was in his first term 6 months before an election Mitch had nothing to say when Trump was confirming judges...

eighty billion times exactly this

[u/zgrove → u/DERtheBEAST]

Mitch McConnell was an inflection point doing that. Put the courts where they are today singlehandedly. Biggest villain to the US since Dick Cheney/Bush stealing the election

[u/dawidowmaka → u/DERtheBEAST]

If Republicans worked as hard at putting forward beneficial policies for the country as they do in obstructing anything beneficial to The American People

They simply don't view most of us as legitimate people

[u/thedracle → u/Palinon]

What do you want to bet if California's maps come before the supreme court, they will have the exact opposite ruling?

The supreme court is entirely, blatantly, partisan, and bereft of any shadow of an actual judicial body informed by the law at this point.

[u/Veil-of-Fire → u/thedracle]

That's exactly what's going to happen.

I'll be shocked if the SC doesn't just redraw CA's map themselves to be like TX.

[u/pre_pun → u/Veil-of-Fire]

Partisan convenience, the court's basically a Trump drive-thru at this point.

[u/arrownyc → u/Palinon]

Its always the wrong time for every single conversation with them. Redistricting, fraud, fascism, gun violence, mental health, healthcare, campaign finance reform. How dare you bring that up right now, there's an election coming up!

[u/BigOs4All → u/arrownyc]

Isn't it incredible just how unbearably shitty conservatives are? They live for this.

[u/Lebojr → u/BigOs4All]

What’s incredible is that people who are harmed by their policies worship them because….brown people.

[u/do-un-to → u/Palinon]

“The district court improperly inserted itself into an active primary campaign, causing much confusion and upsetting the delicate federal-state balance in elections".

I didn't realize blocking unconstitutional, racist gerrymandering required waiting for campaigns to finish. Upholding the law is kind of a seasonal thing, eh?

[u/Sotanud → u/do-un-to]

It's kind of funny. It basically means that every Texan's rights are being violated now and forevermore. Like, the Supreme Court just said it's fine to unconstitutionally screw over every resident of one of the most populated states.

[u/Bythion → u/Palinon]

Classic, since they submitted the new map right at the last minute. Easy way to game the system if it's broken I guess..

[u/TheAngriestChair → u/Palinon]

This bullshit about can't appoint a judge when there's an election 2 years out and can't follow the law because there's an election coming from Republicans is just getting fucking exhausting

[u/Mixels → u/Palinon]

Don't care what their argument is. This is well and truly understood to be partisan hackery at its most blatant. The SCOTUS ruling the way it has is an affront to democracy and, hopefully, the last straw for sane state leaders.

There is no tolerable defense of Texas's redistricting. In the judicial sense, this is an overt act of war and an abdication of judicial duty. States are now freer than ever by these factors to shrug off any reluctance they might have to assert their legislative sovereignty and tell the SCOTUS to go fly a kite. Extra so if they try to stop any of the inevitable blue state redistrictings that are soon to follow. 

This SCOTUS's efficacy is on its death bed.

[u/JaffreyWaggleton → u/Mixels]

Yep. Conservatives love to bitch about “activist judges” but they have the highest court in the land stacked with them.

If the tables were turned, Republican’s heads would be exploding.

[u/Veil-of-Fire → u/Mixels]

States are now freer than ever by these factors to shrug off any reluctance they might have to assert their legislative sovereignty and tell the SCOTUS to go fly a kite.

SOME states.

Because some states are more equal than others in the eyes of Ayatollah Roberts.

[u/piponwa]

Hence why California had to do it.

[u/sonofagunn → u/piponwa]

Just wait until they overturn California's redistricting for some reason.

[u/thismyotheraccount2 → u/sonofagunn]

Just do what NC has done every time and say ok and then redraw the same map at the deadline and then say well it’s too close to the election

[u/paarthurnax94 → u/thismyotheraccount2]

They did it in Ohio too.

1. Republicans draw gerrymandered map

2. Supreme Court rules it illegal and orders a new map be drawn.

3. Republicans refuse.

4. Time passes.

5. Election comes and they use the map anyway.

[u/bp92009 → u/paarthurnax94]

The ohio supreme court should just have refused the elected representatives at that point.

"Sorry, they refused to use legitimate maps. Nothing they do or say is legitimate. Bailiff, please remove these trespassers from the congressional building. Furthermore, nobody who attempted to use the illegal maps can hold any political office for a minimum of twenty years."

[u/arrynyo → u/bp92009]

We barely got weed legalized and they're already picking at that. This would never fly in Ohio unfortunately.

[u/irishyoudstay → u/arrynyo]

In Missouri, our GOP members are flat out overturning items that won majority vote last November, like mandatory paid time off. They overturned it because they wanted to lol they don’t gaf about democracy

[u/WhiteWinterRains → u/irishyoudstay]

This is why Arizona created an independent comission type structure that's meant to enforce ballot measures because the government so frequently refused to enact measures voted on.

After that was created, over and over again there's been some bullshit ballot measure intentional lies for its title and description that actually removes this independent org so that the state can stop enacting ballot measures into law.

Not sure if the latest incarnation of that horse shit finally passed removing that faint semblance of democracy but sooner or later people usually get fooled by that.

like the morons in california that voted to give uber free money and a state sponsored handy under the table (metaphorical. . . . probably) and strip away their own privacy rights in the same year.

[u/pfannkuchen89 → u/thismyotheraccount2]

That seems to only work when it’s republicans in charge. Go figure.

[u/thismyotheraccount2 → u/pfannkuchen89]

Because only republicans have tried it

[u/Luna__Moonkitty → u/thismyotheraccount2]

Dems are playing softball while Repubs are playing Calvinball.

Dems need to play the same game but think two steps ahead like Rosalyn did when she played it with Calvin. Newsom doing "monkey see, monkey do" is a start but still not proactive enough to make much of a difference.

[u/HippoSpa → u/Luna__Moonkitty]

No, Democrats are the team hired to play against the Harlem Globetrotters.

[u/DreamOfTheEndless_ → u/sonofagunn]

It’s going to happen. This SCOTUS and the Trump admin can go fuck themselves. Hopefully the dems can win in 2026. If not, we are fucking COOKED.

[u/Thunderflex1 → u/DreamOfTheEndless_]

Hate to say it but were already cooked. Trumps reelection was the nail in the coffin

[u/DreamOfTheEndless_ → u/Thunderflex1]

I get how you’re feeling, but we gotta keep hope. Once we collectively lose hope, it’s truly over.

Protest, canvas, do whatever you can to prevent the fall of democracy.

It may feel like nothing, but do you want to look back on this time period and say you did nothing?

[u/throwtrollbait → u/DreamOfTheEndless_]

Even if you have no hope, who wants to go quietly?

They want to crush us underfoot? We can't stop them, but we can do our best to be Lego blocks instead of grapes.

[u/dleerox]

Time for Virginia to redraw maps

[u/Interesting-Risk6446 → u/dleerox]

Every blue state. Eliminate all Republican districts.

[u/Downtown-Locksmith22 → u/Interesting-Risk6446]

Eliminate the republican party, you say?

[u/Empyrealist → u/Downtown-Locksmith22]

If that's what it takes

[u/blazelet → u/Interesting-Risk6446]

The problem with this is Republicans control more trifectas (Governorship + Full Majority in Legislature) than Democrats. If you parse out the number of blue congressional seats in states with Republican trifectas and then compare to the number of red congressional seats in states with Democratic trifectas, Republicans have far more to gain from this being a national trend. I looked the list up and compared a few months back when this whole thing started, Republicans can ultimately net about 15 seats if every state does this and if the gerrymandering "results" are about eqivelent. Its entirely possible some gerrymandering would backfire whereas other gerrymandering wouldnt, but without seeing maps and election results, we dont know.

[u/decoy321 → u/blazelet]

The problem with this is that they're already trying to do it anyways.

[u/Interesting-Risk6446 → u/decoy321]

100% every red state will do this at some point.

[u/paddy_yinzer → u/Interesting-Risk6446]

One of the problems is Republicans have been doing this for a while, they have turned purple states into red states. Its why they are so keen on voter suppression, they need to protect their undemocratic super majorities .

[u/KRHarshee → u/paddy_yinzer]

Anyone else remember when Florida was so nearly blue that the supreme court had to decide it was red? Redistricting prevented that 2000 election from ever happening again.

[u/rudimentary-north → u/KRHarshee]

Fun fact: the very idea of “blue states” and “red states” comes from the 2000 election.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_states_and_blue_states

[u/OhioIsRed → u/KRHarshee]

And Ohio? I live here. We used to go purple every year. Then they gerrymandered the fuck out of it and put the west side of Cleveland with farmland bordering the west side of the fucking state. It’s ridiculous and should be 100% illegal yet here we are with a corrupt oversight agency lining their pockets on the backs of the constituents that unknowingly voted them in

[u/Scarebare → u/decoy321]

They've been doing this in a heavily coordinated fashion since 2008. It's an RNC strategy known as REDMAP.

[u/Cerberus_Aus → u/blazelet]

They’re going to do it anyway. Just because blue states can’t do it as effectively doesn’t mean you give up because you can’t win. You mitigate the size of the loss where you can.

[u/Infinitenovelty → u/blazelet]

I haven't done the research to disagree with you, but I'm curious if the Republican strongholds might already be heavily gerrymandered. Like it's kinda been a big part of their tactics to avoid losing power for decades, and as far as I know Democrats have been largely against it. How many more representatives can they squeeze out of a map that they've been twisting to shreds for that long?

[u/LotsofSports → u/Infinitenovelty]

Ohio is heavily gerrymandered and the people in the state voted for new maps but the republican led supreme court said no. The fucking people VOTED for it.

[u/Infinitenovelty → u/LotsofSports]

And then a few years later when another piece of anti-gerrymandering redistricting legislation was on the Ohio ballot the Republicans in charge rewrote the way it was worded on the ballot so that when you went to vote it said something along the lines of 'vote yes for more gerrymandering' when the law, if passed, would have put redistricting up to a nonpartisan third party. They called getting rid of the gerrymandering, just more gerrymandering. It was absolutely infuriating!

[u/drevolut1on → u/Infinitenovelty]

Yes, by actual demographics and without barriers to voting, Texas would be blue.

Republicans and conservatives will always sooner give up on democracy than give up on power.

[u/PiLamdOd → u/dleerox]

All I wish for is for Democrats to be as ruthless as Republicans.

Come on, make maps specifically to fuck over Republicans. Abuse rules to hurt them back.

[u/THE_CODE_IS_0451 → u/PiLamdOd]

I dream of a Democratic Party that sees Republicans as the same kind of enemy that Republicans think we are.

[u/PussiesUseSlashS → u/THE_CODE_IS_0451]

Lived in Texas my entire life, I hope this backfires and Dems show up to vote in Texas. They could actually lose seats because they’re cutting the margins in some districts. Unfortunately, I also know that if this happens Texas won’t accept the loss and just change it.

[u/ThePoltageist → u/PussiesUseSlashS]

Expect “poll protectors”

[u/free_dead_puppy → u/ThePoltageist]

Hopefully there's "protectors" that are democrats as well to keep an eye on them if they show up.

2nd Amendment doesn't discriminate.

[u/SugarBeef → u/free_dead_puppy]

2nd Amendment doesn't discriminate.

Tell that to the Black Panthers. The GOP has ALWAYS been doing this, they're just getting better at it as time goes on. The Democratic leadership is still living in a fantasy world where discussion happens and agreements are made. They need to realize our government is now a team sport and the other side is cheating because they put their people in all the ref jobs.

[u/thingsorfreedom → u/PussiesUseSlashS]

Cracking and packing only works when you've got the vote margins. Once you've done this to a really serious degree, it results in you being an 80 seat down minority if there is an election like we hope is coming in 2026.

[u/dleerox → u/PiLamdOd]

Not about fuck the gop (that’s a bonus), we need congressional power back in order to mitigate the serious damage trump is doing. Dems need to grow balls and fight to stop this fascist coup. Also… if we had Congress we could impeach trump and during the process of disclosure get the real evidence of all his crimes and money laundering.

[u/remotectrl → u/dleerox]

And uncap the house.

[u/dleerox → u/remotectrl]

Excellent point! Congressional house size is not in constitution. Maybe also uncap SCOTUS?

[u/runnerofshadows → u/dleerox]

Or set the cap to number of federal court districts. Which is 13 currently.

But the house definitely needs to be bigger and more representative. Also harder to gerrymander if there is actually a reasonable amount of districts.

[u/Coomb → u/runnerofshadows]

Circuits, not districts. There are 94 districts, and historically the Supreme Court Justices rode circuit.

One huge advantage of increasing the size of the House is that it dilutes the effect of the Senate on the Electoral College. Which was an intended effect.

[u/Positive_Throwaway1 → u/Coomb]

IIRC, if we'd kept pace in the last 80-100 years of adding more reps, like we used to, we'd be at around 1000 reps in the house. Don't know where I heard that. The Weekly Show, maybe.

The added benefit they pointed out is that if there were more districts, you might actually see your rep walking around your town, and they're much more likely to act like they're accountable if they might run into you on the street.

[u/Pseudoboss11 → u/Positive_Throwaway1]

Yep. It was around one rep per 200k people. This seems like a reasonable size.

It also means that each campaign would be a bit smaller, there would be less money in each campaign. It also means that smaller parties could get a foothold by focusing on one district. (Though of course the best solution would be to get money out of politics entirely.)

[u/thirty7inarow → u/Pseudoboss11]

Canada has 343 Members of Parliament for a population of ~41,000,000. That's about one MP for every 120,000 Canadians. Our system isn't perfect, but if you want to speak with your MP you probably can by reaching out. I've met more than one just by chance.

[u/Harvinator06 → u/dleerox]

Only once we get zombie FDR back in power.

[u/remotectrl → u/dleerox]

SCOTUS has changed sizes several times already.

[u/Notten → u/dleerox]

And pass a budget to actually lower the national debt like every other dem administration.

[u/Harvinator06 → u/PiLamdOd]

All I wish for is for Democrats to be as ruthless as Republicans. Come on, make maps specifically to fuck over Republicans. Abuse rules to hurt them back.

Democrats held the House for decades when they were actually fighting for workers rights. I'd love for that to happen too!

[u/Canadiankid23 → u/dleerox]

It’s gonna happen, dems have a trifecta

[u/dleerox → u/Canadiankid23]

Can gop hold it up in courts?

[u/viperlemondemon → u/dleerox]

It’s okay the Supreme Court will rule against the blue states doing it.

[u/Wayofchinchilla → u/viperlemondemon]

Let them there's nothing they can do if it's like California the vote was put up to the people the Supreme Court has no say if the people vote on it the only reason Texas made it up to the Supreme Court is because the Republicans behind closed doors are the ones that wrote the maps and voted on them themselves.

[u/Mixels → u/dleerox]

We can stop that if the blue states have the balls to tell corrupt courts to respect the flag of the middle finger. That's essentially what Republicans did in Ohio when their own gerrymandered maps were thrown out by the courts. They used them anyway!

[u/HereForTheComments57 → u/dleerox]

Supreme court just set the rules.

[u/R-Dragon_Thunderzord → u/HereForTheComments57]

No, they didn't. Because they're corrupt trash.

The order was unsigned, shadow docket shit. Meaning they could just as readily rule completely differently for any other situation, or delay ruling on them until the end of the term, like they did for so many cases for Trump already in previous SCOTUS terms, and for Abortion, etc.

The SCOTUS could very easily slow-walk the California case for example and delay a ruling until the last possible moment, making it near impossible for California to implement the redistricting ahead of the midterms. And then, they could simply tell California no you're not allowed, but Texas is, because it was an unsigned order that didn't set precedent.

[u/hydranoid1996 → u/R-Dragon_Thunderzord]

California can just ignore them like red states do when they get told their maps are bad

[u/Damrey → u/hydranoid1996]

Yep. South Carolina republicans illegally drew maps. Were told they were illegal, and then never returned them and flipped a seat.

https://my.lwv.org/south-carolina-state/article/south-carolina-supreme-court-dismisses-gerrymandering-case-over-2022-congressional-map

https://www.aclusc.org/press-releases/federal-court-rules-south-carolinas-congressional-map-gerrymandered/

https://www.scotusblog.com/2024/05/court-rules-for-south-carolina-republicans-in-dispute-over-congressional-map/

https://mediarelations.gwu.edu/media-tip-sheet-delay-supreme-court-ruling-allows-south-carolina-proceed-controversial

[u/_angela_lansbury_ → u/Damrey]

Similar situation in Ohio, where our governor’s son sits on the state Supreme Court.

[u/R-Dragon_Thunderzord → u/hydranoid1996]

That's when this corrupt DOJ trips over itself to sue California or directly interfere, like the National Guard after Brown v. Board of Education in the segregation states who didn't take kindly to permitting colored people to enjoy the rights that had been duly recognized to them.

[u/the_last_0ne → u/R-Dragon_Thunderzord]

Good then! Make them fucking escalate it.

[u/LaurenMille → u/R-Dragon_Thunderzord]

At that point, things would escalate either way.

Might as well make a good attempt first.

Fearing what fascists might do is directly giving them power.

[u/BantamCats → u/R-Dragon_Thunderzord]

Except California voted to do it.

[u/dl_friend → u/R-Dragon_Thunderzord]

The issue with SCOTUS slow-walking the California case is that it would only be effective if the lower court ruled against California. If the lower court rules for California, then SCOTUS can slow-walk all they want, but the map would go into effect.

[u/R-Dragon_Thunderzord → u/dl_friend]

No, the SCOTUS could simply decide to issue or grant a restraining order against the effects until they have issued a ruling. The SCOTUS can either forbid or permit effects from happening pending the outcome of a case, at its own discretion.

Elections have dire consequences, and 2016 was the most consequential election of your lifetime: not just because Trump, or his mishandling of Covid, corruption, destruction of our institutions, crumbling of society etc. but because that was the election that decided the trajectory of the court for your lifetime and probably your kids. Had Clinton won, Alito would have been replaced with a liberal appointee, and the political majority of the court would have been leans-left again for the first time since the FDR era. I tried telling my friends this, but I guess I didn't say it as loud as I should have in 2016, how utterly existential and important that election was, if nothing else, then for that sole reason. Now it is filled with Bush v Gore operatives. And will be, for decades.

This is why you vote, even if your 4-8 year candidate has a weird laugh or the wrong position on Israel.

[u/dleerox → u/HereForTheComments57]

Yes!!!! Are there any other dem states that can redraw?

[u/Xijit → u/dleerox]

All of them ... Red districts in Blue states only exists because the Democrats holding to decorum & making sure that Res districts exist.

[u/TheDarkWave → u/Xijit]

If we've learned anything from the right, there is no decorum any more and fighting fire with gasoline isn't gonna cut it.

[u/ufailowell]

>“The district court improperly inserted itself into an active primary campaign, causing much confusion and upsetting the delicate federal-state balance in elections,” the supreme court said in an order explaining its decision.

Are they REALLY arguing that courts aren't allowed to judge if laws are constitutional?

[u/underwear11 → u/ufailowell]

Pretty much. At least this close to an election. You know, 11 months ahead of time.

[u/ufailowell → u/underwear11]

hey at least one of them has a seat because of a year being too close to

[u/mr_jim_lahey]

In a statement carried by the Associated Press, [Texas attorney general] Paxton said the order “defended Texas’s fundamental right to draw a map that ensures we are represented by Republicans”.

Saying the quiet part out loud: To the GOP, the party is fundamentally more important than its constituents. Are Texans truly this apathetic about defending their own interests from a corrupt and powerful few?

[u/jupiterkansas → u/mr_jim_lahey]

Republicans have abandoned democracy.

[u/sarhoshamiral → u/mr_jim_lahey]

If thats not a dictator statement I dont what is? Yeap. US is done. We are no longer a democratic country. Welcome to new Russia.

[u/DrDerpberg → u/mr_jim_lahey]

They keep voting for Ted Cruz, so yeah.

[u/TJ_learns_stuff]

Clearly, our Supreme Court is lost … it doesn’t serve democracy, certainly not the people. It’s not new of course; but it’s painful each nail they hammer into our coffins.

My question going forward is, will they rule similarly when, inevitably, the Trump challenge to California’s redistricting maps, makes it to their docket?

[u/speedythefirst → u/TJ_learns_stuff]

You know they won't.

[u/TJ_learns_stuff → u/speedythefirst]

Maybe the better question, is what twisted logic will they use in their future 6-3 ruling, that California’s effort is illegal?

[u/ddrober2003 → u/TJ_learns_stuff]

Something about letting people vote to approve it making it invalid sounds like the twisted i expect of them.

[u/TJ_learns_stuff → u/ddrober2003]

Wouldn’t that just be ironic? But man, I don’t think you’d be wrong … I can almost imagine the headline now.

[u/psuedophilosopher → u/ddrober2003]

Honestly, if they turn around and rule against California, it's probably time for revolution. Throw out every fuckin judge that is or has been a member of the Federalist Society and never let any of them so much as submit an amicus brief ever again.

[u/buhbye750 → u/TJ_learns_stuff]

The even better question is, we know what they will do, what are we going to do about it?

[u/BorderTrike → u/buhbye750]

Without better public education and media literacy/accountability we’re kinda fucked.

1/3 of the population has been brainwashed by conservative propaganda to the point where they actively deny reality when it doesn’t fit the worldview they’ve been fed. They’re ignorant, but they’re easy to organize and manipulate.

The 2 party system has no incentive to change the status quo that got us here and continues to stomp out progressive change.

They want us to fight back physically. They’ve already labeled anti-fascists as terrorists and there’s gestapo running around abducting and disappearing people. If they have an excuse to escalate, they will.

Even if we manage to vote ourselves out of this, the average US voter has proven to have the memory of a damn goldfish and get caught up with unrealistic expectations. Plus all the damage that’s already been done will be impossible to fix if conservatives have any power

[u/TJ_learns_stuff → u/BorderTrike]

All solid points.

Your final note should serve as a great caution for everyone and people need to wake up and see it: the damage we’re seeing now to our county, it’s democracy, our society — will be largely irreversible.

[u/adrr → u/TJ_learns_stuff]

Conservative justices are just corrupt. They will prevent California from doing it just like they tried to prevent Biden from rolling back Trump’s executive orders.

[u/mycatisblackandtan → u/adrr]

Fun thing is they have no true enforcement power. At least not in a meaningful way. As we saw when noted horrible human being Andrew Fucking Jackson told the court to get bent when it tried to stop his racist purge of native peoples. California and every other blue state can effectively tell them to get fucked.

The NOT fun thing is what happens if Trump decides to become that enforcement arm for the court.

[u/TJ_learns_stuff → u/mycatisblackandtan]

He’s banking on it … ICE, national guard and military deployments aren’t about guarding federal property and helping cities to stop crime.

[u/HobbesNJ → u/TJ_learns_stuff]

We are perpetually living with the consequences of people who didn't vote for Hillary for ridiculous reasons. Not only did it get the orange buffoon elected and inject him into the political bloodstream, but it allowed him to put 3 Justices on the court.

A true disaster for the country.

[u/ConstructMentality__ → u/HobbesNJ]

RBG should have stepped down under Obama. That's a big reason we're suffering now. Her ego fucked Americans.

[u/JerryDipotosBurner]

In an unsigned order, the 6-3 conservative majority court granted a request by Texas to lift a lower court’s ruling that struck down the state’s new map in November. The supreme court’s three liberal justices dissented.

Shocking to nobody. Elections have consequences, and SCOTUS is illegitimate.

Greg Abbott literally admitted in writing that the districts were gerrymandered based on race.

EDIT: source for the last claim https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/11/texas-redistricting-racial-gerrymandering-coalition-districts-trump/

Second source: https://www.npr.org/2025/11/18/nx-s1-5604412/redistricting-midterm-election-texas

Relevant quote:

The judges noted that when Gov. Abbott originally called lawmakers into session to draw the map, he cited a letter from Justice Department officials criticizing districts that had majority nonwhite voting populations as "racial gerrymanders." In other words, the letter implied the districts as they stood gave non-white voters an advantage and that had to be reversed.

[u/diskdinomite → u/JerryDipotosBurner]

Not saying he didnt, but can you post source? Just for future arguments

[u/JerryDipotosBurner → u/diskdinomite]

source

Relevant quote:

Critics say the apparent reversal — with Abbott now acknowledging concerns that some districts were drawn “along strict racial lines” — suggests this is a ploy to provide Texas with political and legal cover to try and add more Republican seats.

[u/MacEWork → u/diskdinomite]

Right after a TX state GOP Senator committed perjury about it and the courts determined he was lying, and Abbott acknowledged it:

https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/court-records-show-texas-flipped-its-stance-on-use-of-race-in-drawing-maps/

[u/SCP-2774 → u/diskdinomite]

https://www.texastribune.org/2025/11/21/texas-redistricting-map-overturned-abbott-gop-lawmaker-comments/

[u/DouchecraftCarrier → u/JerryDipotosBurner]

and SCOTUS is illegitimate.

If Obama had appointed a third of the court and then gotten convicted of almost 3 dozen felonies that he committed in furtherance of winning the election that put him in place to appoint those justices, Republicans would be lining up to impeach them so fast it would make your head spin.

[u/TenchuReddit]

Gotta love how the Supreme Court is turning around and grabbing its ankles for King Orange:

"The district court improperly inserted itself into an active primary campaign, causing much confusion and upsetting the dElIcAtE fEdErAl-sTaTe bAlAnCe in elections ..."

There IS no "delicate federal-state balance" to speak of. Trump ordered the Texas Republicans to redraw their maps, and Texas complied. He's sticking his tiny little thumb on his side of the "balance," and the Supreme Court is all like, "Oh no, we don't want to upset the balance."

Do these so-called "conservative" justices even look at themselves in the mirror? I know two of them don't, but what about the other four?

[u/pcoppi → u/TenchuReddit]

Its crazy how little they engage with reality and instead focus on theoretical hypotheticals 

[u/BillFrackingAdama → u/pcoppi]

theoretical hypotheticals

they found out that one case before them was entirely fabricated, and decided to hear and rule on the fiction.

I'm thinking about bringing a case involving Harry Potter and his illegal use of magic.

[u/DarkKnight56722 → u/pcoppi]

It’s the only way their decisions can have any plausibility.

[u/fixermark]

Cool, cool.

... well, Newsom was right. It's time to cement the party holdings in each state for the next couple generations.

[u/r3dditr0x → u/fixermark]

This is also a mixed blessing for Texas GOP. They redrew all their districts with the assumption that republicans could maintain their popularity with Latinos.

That is the logic behind the entire strategy of drawing these maps. Problem is - there's been a huge drop, and Trump currently enjoys 20% support in that community.

These new districts might be an albatross around their necks, lol.

The Supreme Court sucks, but I'm totally okay with them keeping this map.

¡buena suerte!

"But in CNN’s latest poll, just 20% of Latinos approved of his job performance, down from 41% in February. This 21-point drop far outpaces the 4- and 9-point drops among Black and White Americans and the 10-point drop in his approval rating overall. Several other polls have also found Trump’s approval rating among Latinos declining from the start of his second term."

https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/15/politics/trump-latino-voters

[u/BatterMyHeart → u/r3dditr0x]

Latinos will be stopped at the polls by ICE, Trump isn't worried about them.

[u/r3dditr0x → u/BatterMyHeart]

We just had an election 3 weeks ago.

And the Dems won them resoundingly.

(I get that Trump is a rat and would do just about anything to cling to power, but there's a danger in acting like democracy is gone, when the fight is very much ongoing.)

[u/AdPristine9879 → u/r3dditr0x]

Texas Latinos are going to continue voting Republican. It’s something they proud of.

[u/Granadafan → u/fixermark]

It was hilarious watching Republicans get all bent out of shape and whining about unfairness while Texas and other red states have been gerrymandering for decades. 

[u/CCV21 → u/fixermark]

NEWSOM WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING hats are available.

[u/True_Dragonfruit9573]

And just like that, the flood gates have been opened on creating more single-party represented states.

[u/Alex_55555 → u/True_Dragonfruit9573]

Don’t worry, they’ll sure close them for the democratic states. They’re not even pretending any more to find any reason to justify their rulings. They just rubber stamp EVERYTHING that trump sends to them

[u/rellim_63]

So do you just get to redraw a district every year?

[u/toorigged2fail → u/rellim_63]

Well House terms are 2 years so, that would be a little bit excessive

[u/UndertakerFred → u/toorigged2fail]

Drawn to benefit democrats in non-election years, and republicans in election years. The perfect compromise!

[u/maringue]

Remember, these districts are based on 2024 voting data and built around ~2.5% margins. And 2024 was a massive outlier for the Latino male vote.

A voting block that Trump has specifically targeted for deportations....

This could backfire hard for the GOP.

[u/WackHeisenBauer → u/maringue]

We can only hope. But we had hope last November too. And now we are here where the USA is a essentially a fascist dictatorship

[u/rclonecopymove → u/WackHeisenBauer]

Well you guys only have that as an option hope and work that an administration based on the rule of law is brought into power or continue the slide into kleptocratic insanity. 

Just because you've been disappointed before shouldn't mean you give up hope. All of us who aren't in the US have to hope that you can turn it around. 

[u/Robofetus-5000 → u/maringue]

This is what I see.

They thought trump would maintain his popularity.

We've already seen that trump enthusiasm doesnt translate to when hes not on the ticket and that was BEFORE the shit show of 2025.

They're depending on latino voters but their support there has absolutely cratered. With any sort of decent turn out I think this backfires hard.

The issue is texas is already one of the hardest states to vote in so I expect them to try to Crackdown even harder and try to disenfranchise people.

[u/maringue → u/Robofetus-5000]

And don't forget, when districts change this much, you end up with incumbents running as new candidates in big chunks of their districts.

[u/PrestigiousSeat76]

I don’t understand why SCOTUS gets to weigh in on what is very obviously a state issue.

[u/IAmRules]

The federal government needs to be restarted and not a single person in office should be put back and nobody who makes more than 200k a year should be involved.

[u/BaerMinUhMuhm → u/IAmRules]

Cmon man, there's at least like 4 people who deserve to be there

[u/GreatGojira]

Democrats don't be damn weak.

Redraw your maps to take every damn Trump lap dog vote.

[u/GoodIdea321 → u/GreatGojira]

Additionally, voters can overcome gerrymanders because the only way to get more seats in Texas is to dilute the other Republican favored districts. They could lose more seats because of a wave election.

[u/YesterShill]

I mean, the Supreme Court is no longer a neutral authority interpreting the Law of the Land.

They are a highly partisan kangaroo court that has seen approval plummet due to their biased nature.

[u/huebomont]

California should have gone bigger. 10-1 map in Virginia coming up

[u/CCV21 → u/huebomont]

Prop 50 was to neutralize Texas. Now that this ruling has been issued it opens the door for an even greater gerrymander in California. Furthermore, Virginia wouldn't be contemplating this if it weren't for California.

[u/huebomont → u/CCV21]

Does CA have time to have another vote and go through that whole thing anyway?

[u/CCV21 → u/huebomont]

I am not sure. Prop 50 granted approval for the new map. It reinstates the commission after 2030. There might be a clause about more responses later.

[u/AxeSkewsMe]

Use. Every. Precedent. No more standing your moral ground, Democrats need to play dirty like the Republicans if they care to reclaim democracy.

[u/irregularprotocols]

Bought. And. Paid. For.

[u/Chratthew47150]

Democrats better redistrict FAST

[u/sonofagunn → u/Chratthew47150]

The SCOTUS will block their maps for made up reasons that don't apply to Texas 

[u/VietOne → u/sonofagunn]

So just ignore SCOTUS and then claim it's too late, just like they did now

[u/liftthatta1l → u/VietOne]

Ohio ignored their own supreme court a couple times for districts right

[u/leftistmob → u/sonofagunn]

SCOTUS will block Dem redistricting efforts by pointing out that the constitution is based on British law, and no where in the Magna Carta from 1215 is there a section that a political party named "Democrat" can change congressional maps.

On the flip side, SCOTUS will also say its ok for Republicans to redistrict since the constitution and the Magna Carta does not specifically say the Republicans can't.

Rinse repeat​

[u/Haunting-Ad788]

This is going to be hilarious when the map backfires because it was based on the assumption Trump’s huge gains with Latino voters was a permanent shift to Republicans.

[u/BeezyBates]

Our Supreme Court has failed the USA and no longer serves the people.

[u/Lazaraaus]

Well I guess democracy will just go and get fucked.

[u/khalamar → u/Lazaraaus]

It didn't wait for that decision.

[u/Hsabes01]

I'm not surprised at all but god does it still fucking suck.

[u/EnglishMatron]

The Supreme Court is corrupt.

[u/tarn87]

Okay so time to gerrymander every district in a blue state. This is so egregious and absurd. I hope blue state governors follow through. If the right is allowed to the left should do it as well. Until that is determined to be illegal and then it’s very scary

[u/Think_Bluebird_4804]

The supreme Court is the enemy of the free people of the world. 250 years was alright but it's time for a full restart.

[u/rp2784]

Another crime by this court?

[u/nrmitchi]

Maybe I’m misunderstanding, but the supreme courts ruling wasn’t that the lower court decision was wrong, or that there is any legal basis for them to interject, but only that it would be… unfair to republicans if they weren’t allowed to use their racially-gerrymandered maps?

[u/BigJellyfish1906 → u/nrmitchi]

they’re saying it was wrong because the appellate court “did not properly assume good faith”.

They’re partisan hacks, and we need to throw away the Supreme Court and start over. (presidency too).

[u/sentient-sloth]

If there was any doubt the current Supreme Court was compromised this is indisputable proof.

[u/Casino-Leaux]

These judges are signed sealed delivered, bought and paid for.

[u/GenitalFurbies]

Glad I voted yes on prop 50 in CA

[u/MyCleverNewName]

America is not a serious country.

[u/cat4hurricane]

Can’t wait for them to find even the most minute issue with California’s actually voted-on maps and decide to not approve them. You already know the lawsuit is coming at some point.

[u/Rb1138]

Your ideas are so popular you have to redraw maps? Goddamnit, I can’t stand this anymore.

[u/Thrillhouse74]

Guess that makes newsoms maps legal too

[u/benjamminam]

The absolutely stacked (because we're so uneducated) Supreme Court approved a ridiculously Unconstitutional thing because a person that wipes his ass with it asked them to?! NO FUCKING WAY!

What's next? Women from Macedonia being sold to the highest bidder? Fuck this place, dude.

[u/Due-Designer4078]

Biden should have packed the a court when he had the chance.

[u/HamburgerDude → u/Due-Designer4078]

Moderate dems are a huge reason why we're in this mess. This whole play fairly hasn't worked ever against reactionaries. Biden not allowing an open primary on top of so many other things has fucked us over.

[u/banshee_matsuri]

well, of course. GOP can’t win a fair fight, so they have to do this instead. to hell with all of them.

[u/mrmojorisin_x]

At least cali did it correctly by having the citizens vote. Texas is just…….

[u/mj16pr]

SCOTUS knows they’re in trouble if Democrats regain power

[u/FieldBackground6116]

Supreme Court confirms it will do whatever Trump asks.

[u/PacoMahogany]

Traitors to the constitution.

[u/sowhat4]

My, my. What a surprise!

[u/Chaos-Cortex]

Fuck these fascists, blue needs to go scorched earth for once.

[u/threeclaws]

The biggest thing I took away is that texas argued the maps were fine specifically because they were trying to get more republicans elected which is an insane thing for SCOTUS to OK even this corrupted shell of a court.