The State of Texas’s recent losing streak in Federal courts came to an end this week, as the U.S. Supreme Court decided that Texas does not need to redraw Congressional voting districts before next year’s elections.
As The Washington Post reports, the decision fell along party lines, with the five Republican appointees voting to grant the stay, while the four Democratic appointees expressed displeasure with the ruling.
The decision came despite the fact that lower Federal courts had repeatedly ruled that Texas Republicans had intentionally redrawn the districts to lessen the impact of Black and Latino voters.
The ruling is yet another sign of the influence of Neil Gorsuch, Donald Trump’s nominee. Since Gorsuch’s arrival, the high court’s decisions have shown a pronounced rightward shift.
