Minnesota Common Cause, a non-profit good government group, will not be allowed to participate in the redistricting lawsuit, the court decided Tuesday.
The court said that Common Cause did not prove what it would add to the arguments already underway, would not add a public voice since the court already held numerous public hearings and would not submit a timely map proposal to the court.
"We decline to treat the redistricting plan that Common Cause seeks to submit differently from any other untimely submission by a member of the public," the court said on behalf of the judicial panel that will likely draw Minnesota's political maps.
In September, the court also denied a request from a citizen to participate in the suit.
Update: "This decision shows how the redistricting process is broken. The court has denied the public an opportunity to provide input at the most critical part of the process. Common Cause made this request because the court failed to provide an opportunity for the public to provide input on the proposed maps," said Common Cause's Mike Dean. "Pubic input on the proposed maps is critical to ensuring that the court has the necessary facts in front of it to make the right decision. Now the court will only have biased information presented to it by the political parties."
The parties to the suit include representatives of the DFL and Republican parties as well as a group of citizens represented by a Democratic attorney.
The next big day in the redistricting suit: Dec. 9, the deadline for parties to react to the plans submitted earlier this month.
Read the court's denial to Common Cause here:
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