Shaw VS Reno: Gerrymandering

What was the main issue in Shaw VS Reno

In 1991, a group of white voters in North Carolina challenged the state's new congressional district map, which had two "majority-minority" districts. The group claimed that the districts were racial gerrymanders that violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

What was the final Decision?

In a 5-4 opinion, the Supreme Court ruled that the shape of the proposed district in North Carolina was bizarre enough that it could not be explained as anything other than an attempt to separate voters along racial lines. In the majority decision, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor noted that while redistricting may take race into account and must not violate the Voting Rights Act, race cannot be the primary consideration when a jurisdiction redraws legislative district lines.

Impact?

The decision in Shaw v. Reno led to nationwide changes after the 2000 Census. The case established that any legislative redistricting must be strictly scrutinized and that any laws related to racially motivated redistricting must be held to narrow standards and compelling government interests.