COLUMBIA, SC — Today the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced they are suing South Carolina over the redistricting process. SCDP Chair Trav Robertson, Jr. released the following statement:
“Anytime we can increase transparency in our political processes, including redistricting, South Carolinians will benefit. The truth is, Republicans in the state legislature have made a concerted effort to redraw district lines in secret to protect incumbents by providing little opportunity for constituents to participate.
“During a global pandemic, Jay Jordan and Chris Murphy scheduled nine redistricting hearings to be held in-person only, asking people to risk their lives to have their voices heard in the process. Hearings were also scheduled on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. If we can livestream hours of debate on using cow dewormer as COVID medicine — one asks, why can’t we do the same for redistricting?
“Republicans are afraid to run in competitive elections and will do everything in their power to prevent it, including limiting public input at redistricting hearings. I am happy to see the ACLU get involved by filing a lawsuit and hope it will bring increased transparency and fairness to South Carolina’s redistricting process.”
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