It’s a REALLY long ruling but the judges just go off on the #Alabama #Republican-controlled House #redistricting map & the fact that they completely ignored the court’s previous ruling.

Among other things, they find that #GOP lawmakers *intentionally* discriminated against #Black Alabamians when they passed a map that did not create a 2nd Black district.

#POTUS #Biden:

“Let me say this again, because #Trump is lying like hell about it. Black #unemployment hit a record low under the #BidenHarris administration”

“We’re going to end #medical #debt… I'm working with states to wipe out #MedicalDebt for pennies on the dollar.”

“I have been young, & now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken.”

Full #NAACP speech:
https://youtu.be/nLdcEE_SGPQ?si=ZN-GgKC9m-GbbWPB

More from #POTUS’ “Black jobs” arc re MVP #KamalaHarris:
“She’s not only a great vice president, she could be president of the United States!”

Other great #Biden lines:

“Truman said you want a friend in Washington, get a dog. Guess what? After the last couple of weeks, I know what he means.”

“Sandy Hook & Uvalde, concert goers in Las Vegas. You're going to be outspoken on one, don’t be silent on others.” #GunControl

She had no idea she would soon be indicted on a charge of illegal voting. She later said that she would not have jeopardized her freedom by submitting a ballot & would have left the polling place if she’d known she wasn’t allowed to vote.

#Election workers checking provisional ballots — as is routine — later determined Mason was ineligible, so her ballot was never counted.

#CrystalMason, a fmr tax preparer, had served a prison sentence for fed tax fraud after pleading guilty to inflating her clients’ tax returns in 2012 & was on supervised release in 2016.

She didn’t know that made her ineligible to vote when she cast a provisional ballot at her polling place in #Texas. She went to vote w/her family & was told by a poll worker that she wasn’t on the rolls but could fill out a provisional ballot.

#law #GOP #VoterIntimidation #BlackVotesMatter #democracy #VoteBlue

#Texas 2nd Court of Appeals Judge Wade Birdwell ruled that there was not enough evidence to show #CrystalMason had known she was ineligible to vote.

The case had been seen as an example of a #GOP-led crackdown on alleged [BS] voter fraud in TX, & Mason’s attys framed it as an attempt at intimidating other voters, particularly people of color & those returning from prison, by making an example of Mason.

#law #ElectionLaw #VoterIntimidation #VoteSuppression #BlackVotesMatter #democracy #VoteBlue

During arguments, a majority of the #SupremeCourt appeared inclined to reinstate the lines the state had wanted. 5 months later, the justices have yet to rule. Both sides had asked the justices to rule by Jan.

By hanging onto the case, #SCOTUS effectively allowed the clock to run out for the #2024election.

Last yr the panel…found the map illegally split neighborhoods in the #Charleston area to make #NancyMace’s race easier. The new lines constituted a #RacialGerrymander that “exiled >30k African American citizens from their previous district,” the panel found.

In arguments before #SCOTUS in Oct, attys for #SouthCarolina argued that lawmakers had not relied on race to draw maps in violation of the #Constitution. Rather, they used #political info to decide…, they said.

The panel of 3 judges last year concluded that #SouthCarolina’s #Republican-led #legislature “exiled” 30k #BlackVoters from the district to make it safer for a #White #GOP incumbent, Rep #NancyMace.

#SC appealed, & both sides asked #SCOTUS to expedite the case to ensure a final ruling was in place well ahead of #election season. The justices heard arguments in October but have yet to rule.

The decision from U.S. District #Judge Steve Jones likely ensures that #Republicans will maintain their 9-5 advantage among the state's 14 seats in the U.S. #House of Representatives.

We really need to get some smarter people to run for office. At all levels. No more Jesus freaks, CEOs, whiny billionaires, or Crypto Bros.

@BlueWaver22 totally agree. It should be part of every conversation about #VoterRights #RacialEquity #BlackVotesMatter