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Page Number: 41

2 

ARIZONA STATE LEGISLATURE v. ARIZONA 

INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMM’N
 
ROBERTS, C. J., dissenting
 

tion contains seventeen provisions referring to the “Legis-
lature” of a State, many of which cannot possibly be read
to mean “the people.”  See Appendix, infra.  Indeed, several 
provisions  expressly  distinguish  “the  Legislature”  from
“the  People.”    See  Art. I,  §2;  Amdt.  17.    This  Court  has 
accordingly  defined  “the  Legislature”  in  the  Elections 
Clause as “the representative body which ma[kes] the laws
of the people.”  Smiley v. Holm, 285 U. S. 355, 365 (1932) 
(quoting  Hawke  v.  Smith  (No.  1),  253  U. S.  221,  227 
(1920); emphasis added).

The  majority  largely  ignores  this  evidence,  relying
instead  on  disconnected  observations  about  direct  democ-
racy,  a  contorted  interpretation  of  an  irrelevant  statute,
and  naked  appeals  to  public  policy.  Nowhere  does  the 
majority explain how a constitutional provision that vests
redistricting authority in “the Legislature” permits a State 
to  wholly  exclude  “the  Legislature”  from  redistricting.
Arizona’s  Commission  might  be  a  noble  endeavor— 
although  it  does  not  seem  so  “independent”  in  practice—
but  the  “fact  that  a  given  law  or  procedure  is  efficient,
convenient, and useful . . . will not save it if it is contrary 
to  the  Constitution.”    INS  v.  Chadha,  462  U. S.  919,  944 
(1983).  No matter how concerned we may be about parti-
sanship  in  redistricting,  this  Court  has  no  power  to  ger-
rymander the Constitution.  I respectfully dissent. 

I 

The majority begins by discussing policy.  I  begin with 

the Constitution.  The Elections Clause provides: 

“The  Times,  Places  and  Manner  of  holding  Elections 
for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed 
in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Con-
gress  may  at  any  time  by  Law  make  or  alter  such
Regulations,  except  as  to  the  Places  of  chusing  Sena-
tors.”  Art. I, §4, cl. 1.