"Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey (R) gave a floor speech arguing against a redraw on both political — it might endanger Republican seats — and moral — it’s an abuse of power against the minority — grounds.

[jalefkowit@vmst.io]

"Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey (R) gave a floor speech arguing against a redraw on both political — it might endanger Republican seats — and moral — it’s an abuse of power against the minority — grounds. He said that he’d spoken to Trump, but still opposed the effort. Four Republicans joined his lead in the vote held soon after."

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/live-blog/scotus-helps-louisiana-republicans-obliterate-black-dem-district-ahead-of-midterms?entry=1546715

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[jalefkowit@vmst.io]

"There are a lot of Democratic voters in Jim Clyburn’s 6th district. Spread them out into neighboring districts and you’ve spread the gerrymander so tight it can just snap. And those snaps happen in wave elections."

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/south-carolina

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[wagesj45@mastodon.jordanwages.com]

@jalefkowit

[jalefkowit@vmst.io]

This gets at one of the less discussed things about the majority-minority districts currently endangered by the Callais decision, which is that for a very long time Republicans were fine with them, because they can provide a convenient way to concentrate Democratic voters into a single district. They could sweep most of the Democrats out of multiple districts into one, giving the Ds one safe seat, but giving themselves all the others. A net win several times over.

The term of art for this type of practice is "packing."

https://ballotpedia.org/Packing

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