Finneran defends his handiwork
A state lawmaker Thursday defended a redistricting plan rejected by a federal appeals court, denying legislative leaders tried to weaken the clout of black voters by packing them into as few districts as possible.
Speaker Thomas Finneran also defended the protection of incumbents as one of several factors lawmakers are entitled to use when drawing new electoral maps. He said he was surprised by the tone of the ruling, which was harshly critical of House leaders.
"I think the language is completely out of bounds for a variety or reasons," Finneran told The Associated Press. "The decision embraced an academic theory of voting that history refutes."
The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday ordered lawmakers to redraw 17 Boston districts, saying Democratic House leaders sacrificed "racial fairness to the voters on the altar of incumbency protection." The court gave lawmakers six weeks to submit a redrawn map. -- Mass. Lawmaker Defends Redistricting Plan (AP)
Once again, the AP incorrectly states that this decision was by the court of appeals. It was not; it was by a three-judge district court.