Court ruling spurs backers’ hopes for redistricting changes

New interns run with a decision across the plaza of the Supreme Court in Washington, Monday June 29, 2015. On Monday, the court upheld Arizona congressional districts drawn by an independent commission and rejected a constitutional challenge from Republican lawmakers and upheld the use of a controversial drug in lethal injection executions Monday, as two dissenting justices said for the first time that they think it's "highly likely" that the death penalty itself is unconstitutional. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) New interns run with a decision across the plaza of the Supreme Court in Washington, Monday June 29, 2015. On Monday, the court upheld Arizona congressional districts drawn by an independent commission and rejected a constitutional challenge from Republican lawmakers and upheld the use of a controversial drug in lethal injection executions Monday, as two dissenting justices said for the first time that they think it's "highly likely" that the death penalty itself is unconstitutional. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

By Associated Press June 30, 2015 4 min read

WASHINGTON (AP) – Groups trying to curb the partisan sculpting of House districts are hoping their Supreme Court victory will prompt more states to create independent commissions to redraw congressional lines.

But Republicans scoffed that Monday’s 5-4 decision upholding Arizona’s independent redistricting commission would have little impact. With the GOP’s current House majority aided by their domination of congressional line drawing in many states, some Republicans conceded that reducing that power could hurt them but would be hard for opponents to achieve.

“It’s a sweeping decision that lays the groundwork, but the work still has to be done” by advocates of independent commissions, said GOP strategist Sean Noble. “And whether they have the time, money or will has yet to be determined.”

Proponents of siphoning partisanship from the process said they’re already trying.

They will rely partly on the same method Arizona used to create its independent commission: Initiatives, when voters directly place questions on the ballot without the state legislature’s involvement, usually by acquiring signatures on a petition. Monday’s court ruling kept that option open.