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Diane --
By striking down Roe v. Wade, the conservatives on the U.S. Supreme Court signaled their intent to give extreme Republican state legislatures significantly more power over fundamental rights to privacy. And in an upcoming case -- Caster v. Merrill -- the Court's conservatives could allow state legislatures to adopt maps that dilute the voting power of voters of color.
That means Republican state legislators could roll back even more fundamental rights -- and their own constituents might not be able to stop them.
Caster v. Merrill is part of a decades-long campaign by conservatives to roll back the landmark Voting Rights Act (VRA). During my presidency, the Court's conservatives chipped away at the VRA's requirements for states with a history of discriminatory voting practices. In this latest case, they could do something similar nationwide.
The through-line here is clear: Conservatives on the Supreme Court are looking to roll back hard-won rights by declaring that those rights can be subject to the whims of gerrymandered state legislatures. They did it by overturning Roe, and they may do it again by further undermining the Voting Rights Act. Help us respond by contributing to All On The Line's $30,000 rapid-response goal for July.
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Merrill isn't the only pending Supreme Court case that could give state legislatures more power to gerrymander districts. The Court is also hearing a case called Moore v. Harper where Republicans are making an argument under the "independent state legislature" theory. If adopted wholesale, this theory could eliminate the roles of governors, commissions, and state supreme courts in drawing fair congressional maps -- and vetoing or invalidating gerrymandered maps when necessary.
We have seen what happens when we limit access to the ballot and threaten fair elections in America. It's a dark road, and one we shouldn't travel down again.
And yet, there are also reasons for hope. People who believe in equality and democracy have faced powerful opposition before. But they've also risen to the challenge, and defended the fundamental rights that make us who we are as Americans.
When you tell your friends or family that you support All On The Line, I hope you know that you are part of this story. What we're doing here is no small thing -- All On The Line's affiliate is supporting both Caster v. Merrill and Moore v. Harper as they make their way to the Supreme Court. And All On The Line itself will help mobilize a grassroots response no matter how the Court rules.
The men and women who came before us in the fight for a true and inclusive democracy marched and fought and died for access to the ballot, even when they knew that they themselves might never live to see it. Our fight is their fight, just like it has always been.
Help us keep going by showing your support today.
In solidarity,
Barack Obama
All On The Line is the grassroots advocacy campaign supported by the National Redistricting Action Fund. Support our work to end gerrymandering.
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