Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds Supreme Court Ruling in Evenwel v. Abbott

WASHINGTON – Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement today after the Supreme Court voted 8-0 in Evenwel v. Abbott upholding Texas’ use of total population as their method of apportionment when drawing electoral districts:

“Today’s unanimous ruling strongly affirms our nation’s longstanding constitutional principle that everyone deserves representation in our democracy. We applaud the Supreme Court for rejecting the challengers’ misguided, politically-motivated attempt to pervert this principle and exclude countless children and other non-voters from political representation.

As the Court noted, children and other non-voters have a crucial stake in many policy debates, including those surrounding public education, infrastructure, and constituent services. We elect our representatives to serve everyone, not just the people who voted for them or the people eligible to vote.

The Supreme Court’s decision sends a clear message that drawing districts based on total population is the only way to ensure the right of all Americans to equal representation. We urge the courts to take heed of today’s ruling and reject any future attempts to rig our democracy.”

Wade Henderson is president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.