Bush v. Vera

Bush v. Vera
Argued December 5, 1995
Decided June 13, 1996
Full case nameGeorge W. Bush, Governor of Texas, et al., Appellants v. Vera, et al.; Lawson, et al. v. Vera
Citations517 U.S. 952 (more)
116 S. Ct. 1941; 135 L. Ed. 2d 248
Case history
PriorAppeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, sub nom. Vera v. Richards, 861 F. Supp. 1304 (1994)
Subsequent980 F. Supp. 254
Holding
In its 1991 congressional redistricting scheme, Texas subordinated race-neutral, traditional districting considerations to racial factors. This subjected the racially discriminatory plan to strict scrutiny under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the districting plan was deemed not narrowly tailored to meet a compelling state interest.
Court membership
Chief Justice
William Rehnquist
Associate Justices
John P. Stevens · Sandra Day O'Connor
Antonin Scalia · Anthony Kennedy
David Souter · Clarence Thomas
Ruth Bader Ginsburg · Stephen Breyer
Case opinions
PluralityO'Connor, joined by Rehnquist, Kennedy
ConcurrenceO'Connor
ConcurrenceKennedy
ConcurrenceThomas (in judgment), joined by Scalia
DissentStevens, joined by Ginsburg, Breyer
DissentSouter, joined by Ginsburg, Breyer
Laws applied
U.S. Const. amend. XIV, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, 42 U.S.C. § 1973; Texas Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., 2nd C.S., Chap. 7

Bush v. Vera, 517 U.S. 952 (1996), is a United States Supreme Court case concerning racial gerrymandering, where racial minority majority-electoral districts were created during Texas' 1990 redistricting to increase minority Congressional representation. The Supreme Court, in a plurality opinion, held that race was the predominant factor in the creation of the districts and that under a strict scrutiny standard the three districts were not narrowly tailored to further a compelling governmental interest.