School Board leans toward racial gerrymander redistrict | Eastern North Carolina Now

Recent court decisions have ordered that race not be considered in drawing election districts, and have even restricted use of party registration saying it was a proxy for race.  Our school board and their attorneys do not appear to have gotten the message.

The presentation by the board's consultant claimed that in drawing the lines, race was not the "predominate factor" but it clearly was a factor, and in spite of their claim does appear to be the predominant factor on the south side of the river.  He mentioned only two demographic factors in his presentation, overall population, which is relevant, and race, which is no longer allowed as a factor.  No other demographic data was cited.

The consultant stated that they tried to avoid splitting precincts, but on the south side of the river most precincts were split and the only reason to do so was race.  It also made for two districts that do not follow the compactness standards of redistricting.

The problem was that the board instructed the consultant to try to preserve the core of existing districts, and the existing districts were explicitly drawn based on race.  The law as it stood ten years ago required that.  More recent court decisions, however, resulting from cases filed by Democrats have ruled the other way, that race cannot be used to draw districts.  So they are trying to perpetuate an existing illegal racial gerrymander.