The Supreme Court voted 5–4 on June 8 to strike down Alabama’s electoral map for congressional elections, ruling that it was racially discriminatory. The court narrowly found that the map drafted by Alabama Republicans violated the provisions of the federal Voting Rights Act (VRA) which requires that states not racially gerrymander districts. Most members of the…

Commentary Democrats and their media allies are sounding the alarm that the Supreme Court is “dismantling” the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Washington Post warns that this term, the court will likely strip black voters of their right to elect someone “who represent(s) them.” Don’t believe it. Truth is, the Democratic Party has converted…

Alabama defended its redrawn electoral map before the Supreme Court on Oct. 4, arguing that the federal Voting Rights Act (VRA) does not require the state to racially gerrymander districts to guarantee black representation in the state’s congressional delegation. The hearing came after a flurry of activity in the legal dispute. On Jan. 24, a…

The Supreme Court issued an emergency order Aug. 19 blocking upcoming elections for Georgia’s Public Service Commission, upholding a lower court ruling that found the election rules currently in place discriminate against black voters. The order is unusual because in recent years the Supreme Court has generally been reluctant to side with voters over state…

IRVINE, Calif.—After a heated discussion about giving voters the choice in November to expand the city council from four to six seats and changing how ballots are cast for those seats, councilors voted 4–1 on Tuesday to move the issue into closed session at their next meeting. The item—brought forward by Councilman Larry Agran last…

IRVINE, Calif.—After a heated discussion about giving voters the choice in November to expand the city council from four to six seats and changing how ballots are cast for those seats, councilors voted 4–1 on Tuesday to move the issue into closed session at their next meeting. The item—brought forward by Councilman Larry Agran last…

Commentary I keep a few books close at hand as much for their titles as for their contents. Ralph Buchsbaum’s zoological classic “Animals Without Backbones” is one such volume. I always put it on my desk when writing about academic administrators in order to remind myself what species of creature I’m confronting. An even more…