Federal Court Rules State Diluted Native American Vote

The South Dakota Legislature unlawfully diluted the voting strength of American Indians when it redrew legislative district boundaries in 2001, according to U-S District Judge Karen Schreier. Siding with four Indian voters in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the judge has ordered the state to reconsider Legislative Districts 26 and 27 -- which include the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Indian reservations. The state attorney general's office had argued that the South Dakota Legislature did not violate federal law when it approved boundaries for those districts. [more ] and [more ]