What is Democracy Chronicles ally Rick Hasen (of Election Law Blog fame) talking about?

Just a freindly reminder that when the Supreme Court turns down a cert. petition (as it did this morning in the Pa. gerrymandering case), that is NOT any ruling on the merits, and new cases raising the same issue likely on the way https://t.co/J2xIIkk5nh https://t.co/Jp18q5hKtv

— Rick Hasen (@rickhasen) October 29, 2018

The Supreme Court decision Rick is talking about was described well in a recent article by Reuters’ Andrew Chung:

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rebuffed a bid by Republican legislators in Pennsylvania to reinstate a congressional district map struck down by that state’s top court as unlawfully biased in favor of Republicans. The justices rejected the appeal of a January Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling invalidating the Republican-drawn map because it violated the state constitution’s requirement that elections be “free and equal” by marginalizing Democratic voters.

According to NPR’s lead editor for politics and digital audience, Domenico Montanaro, “the Supreme Court’s decision Monday also shows a possible reluctance to weigh in on state law when it comes to redistricting.” Montanaro continued, “This is not the last say the Supreme Court will have, however, on redistricting. It is hearing arguments March 28 on a Republican challenge to Maryland’s Democratic-drawn congressional map, and the court has a decision pending on a Democratic challenge to GOP-drawn state legislative districts in Wisconsin.”

The Democratic Party and its allies in the redistricting battle have celebrated the decision. The officers of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, President Rick Bloomingdale and Secretary-Treasurer Frank Snyder, have issued a public statement, saying:

“Elections have consequences, and this time we won a victory for all workers across Pennsylvania. For too long, Pennsylvanians have been dealt the short straw with a congressional map that defied true democratic principles. The newly redrawn district map from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has restored a level of civic dignity to our Commonwealth. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to decline review of the outcome from League of Women Voters v. Pennsylvania is a testament in the face of historic political division to the injustice of gerrymandering.”