Appeals Court Hears Arguments Against Legislative District Maps

In a Maryland Court of Appeals hearing Wednesday, opponents of Maryland’s newly redrawn state legislative map claimed that the state is violating a provision of the state constitution by crossing county boundaries for unnecessary, partisan purposes when creating senatorial districts

Although the reapportionment falls within the required 10% population deviation between the largest and smallest district, opponents say the map violates the “one person, one vote” provision in the U.S. Constitution because the map overpopulates districts in rural areas of the state, while urban and suburban districts are underpopulated.

“This, I believe, is all part of process,” said petitioner Jim Bouchat. “I do not believe that this institution will grant me my judgement. It is my intent to petition the United State Supreme Court, I believe it’s time for case law from the 1960s to be reviewed and potentially overturned to reflect the new context of our historical time.”

More