TRENTON — A superior court judge today refused to stop the state from using the newly adopted legislative district map while a tea party group challenges its constitutionality. Judge Linda Feinberg also said she’s likely to grant a motion by the state and the commission that redrew the state’s legislative districts to toss the lawsuit, but will not make...
Superior Court Judge Linda Feinberg in this 2004 file photo. Today, Feinberg refused to stop the state from using the newly adopted legislative district map, despite efforts by a tea party group to challenge its constitutionality.TRENTON — A superior court judge today refused to stop the state from using the newly adopted legislative district map while a tea party group challenges its constitutionality.
Judge Linda Feinberg also said she’s likely to grant a motion by the state and the commission that redrew the state’s legislative districts to toss the lawsuit, but will not make an official ruling until late next week.
The 10-count suit, filed by the Bay Shore Tea Party in April, claims the new map is unconstitutional because South Jersey districts tend to have more residents than North Jersey districts and nobody on the commission represented unaffiliated and third-party voters. He also said counties are split many more times than necessary, and Newark’s and Jersey City’s clout was diluted because they would each go from three legislative districts to two.
The map was adopted in April by an 11-member commission made up of five Democrats, five Republicans and one independent, tiebreaking member. The final vote, which selected the Democrats’ plan over the Republicans, was 6-5.
Already, one primary election has occurred under the new map. Feinberg said that putting it on hold would cause harm.
“To enjoin the application of this map would have significant consequences. The process needs to go forward,” she said.
Feinberg also said she is “not satisfied there will be a probability of success on the merits” of the tea party group’s claims, but that it would be unfair for her to make a final determination today.
“I really want to go back. I want to review my notes, the briefs that have been filed, the comments that were made here today, but I want to do it quickly. So I will probably have a decision for you at the end of next week,” she said.
Previous coverage:
• Redrawn N.J. legislative districts offer few gains for minorities, analysis shows
• N.J. redistricting gives women short shrift
• Tea party group contends redrawn N.J. legislative district map favors Democrats
• N.J. State Legislative District Map (PDF)
• Breakdown of N.J. towns by legislative district (PDF)
• 2011 Legislative Map breakdown (PDF)