By Dale Ho
“Prison-based gerrymandering” is a practice whereby many states and local governments count incarcerated persons as residents of the areas where they are housed when election district lines are drawn. This practice distorts our democratic process by artificially inflating the population count-and thus, the political influence-of the districts where prisons and jails are located.

By George E. Curry
True to expectations, Artur Davis’ quest to become the first black governor of Alabama made history.

But, contrary to expectations, Davis’ stunning defeat provides a sharp – yes, historic – example not only of the cost of political arrogance, but also the underscoring for all candidates, and the national Democratic Party establishment, the sophistication and power of the black electorate.

In April Justice Stephen G. Breyer of the U.S. Supreme Court spoke at the New York Historical Society about the historical and present-day importance of the infamous Dred Scott decision, which played a critical role in bringing about the Civil War. We cannot think of a more fitting momemt to contemplate Justice Breyer’s words than on Memorial Day, which began in 1868 in the North as a day to pay homage to the Civil War dead.

On Wednesday, April 28, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered rehearing in a case challenging Washington State’s racially discriminatory law that denies the vote to people with felony convictions. A panel of eleven judges will reconsider this important civil rights case.

By The Editors
Support for legislation that would have given the residents of the District of Columbia a voting representative in Congress, seemingly assured earlier this month, collapsed this week over an amendment to the bill that would have substantially weakened the city’s gun-control law.

By The Editors
On May 1, 2010 the Census Bureau will dispatch thousands of Census Takers to visit households that did not return their Census forms. This critical Census follow-up period will last until July 10, 2010.

There is still time to return your Census form if you have not yet done so. Otherwise, be sure to cooperate with Census workers when they visit your home.

By Olympia Duhart
In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that corporations are allowed to dip into their deep pockets to spend money to help elect or defeat candidates. In fact, they can spend all they want to support or oppose any candidate. The case effectively rolls back decades of restrictions on political campaign expenditures by corporations.

By The Editors
The Census Bureau will continue to accept Census forms at least through April 15, 2010. After April 15 you will still have a chance to return your Census form by mail but a Census Taker will visit your home during the follow-up period, which begins May 1.

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund wishes to commend Justice Stevens upon the announcement of his retirement from the Supreme Court at the end of this term.

By The Editors
Officials of a non-partisan coalition of organizations based in New York City are warning that the city could lose millions of dollars in federal funds if residents in neighborhoods with a low participation rate—which is based on the number of residents returning the Census form—are not included in the Census count.