Opinion roundup: Court speaks on gerrymandered legislative districts, tax-cut trickle-down, the schools go to court, pipelines, offshore drilling and child health

Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: the supreme court and gerrymandered legislative districts, tax-cut trickle-down for state retirees, the schools go to court over who is in charge, pipelines, offshore drilling, child health and more.

ADAM LIPTAK: Supreme Court Issues Partial Stay in N.C. Voting Case (New York Times analysis) -- The Supreme Court partly granted a request from N.C. Republicans to block a voting map drawn by a federal court there. That court had interceded after finding that a map drawn by state lawmakers for the General Assembly had relied too heavily on race and had violated state laws. The order partly blocked that decision while the justices consider whether to hear an appeal in the case. The justices seemed to split into three camps: Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. would have grant the entire request; Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor would grant none of it; and Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Anthony M. Kennedy, Stephen G. Breyer, Elena Kagan and Neil M. Gorsuch appeared to take the middle position.

TRAVIS FAIN:Supreme Court says some, but not all, new legislative districts can be used in 2018 elections (WRAL-TV analysis) -- The high court's decision came in the form of a partial stay, granted to Republican General Assembly leaders who had asked the court to block a three-judge panel's order.

GARY ROBERTSON: Supreme Court blocks some redrawn N.C. districts (AP news analysis) -- The U.S. Supreme Court told North Carolina officials they must use some but not all of the state's legislative districts that other federal judges redrew for this year's elections.

DAVID LEONHARDT: A Blow Against Gerrymandering (New York Times column) -- Both parties have abused gerrymandering in recent years. Democrats have done so in Illinois and Maryland. Republicans have done so in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin, among other places. Republicans have been able to do more gerrymandering mostly because they control more state governments — not because Democrats are above gerrymandering. But I think that this shared blame should make the problem easier to address. In some states, less gerrymandering would benefit Democrats. In other states, it would benefit Republicans. In almost all states, less gerrymandering would make the electoral system fairer.

ALEXANDER BURNS: Democratic Group Targets All-G.O.P. States to Attack Gerrymandering (New York Times analysis) -- A Democratic group backed by former President Barack Obama intends to pour millions of dollars into an eclectic array of elections in a dozen states, in an effort to block Republicans from single-handedly drawing congressional maps after 2020, officials leading the group said.

JULIE BYKOWICZ: Democrats Target GOP-Held House Districts That Hillary Clinton Won (Wall Street Journal analysis) -- Democratic donor money has flooded the 23 Republican-held House districts that Hillary Clinton won in the presidential race, giving those candidates a $4 million fundraising advantage over Republicans.

DAVID DALEY: How the Republicans rigged Congress — new documents reveal an untold story (Salon magazine) -- A few minutes before 8 a.m. on Monday, June 8, 2009 Thomas Hofeller (who designed the N.C. GOP’s gerrymandered congressional and legislative districts) unveiled the audacious strategy that would soon transform American politics.

N,.C. lawmakers returning for work, possible votes (AP news analysis) -- North Carolina lawmakers will soon return to work after keeping the General Assembly session in a holding pattern for weeks while Republicans negotiated some bills and awaited court rulings.

TRAVIS FAIN: Trump tax cuts net only $18 a month for NC state pensioners (WRAL-TV analysis) -- State employees should see slight changes in their paychecks, too, starting Friday.

The tax cuts are here (Greensboro News & Record) -- Tax cuts aren’t just trickling down; for some, they’re gushing.

DAVID YAMANE: On race, victimization and gun violence (Winston-Salem Journal column) -- As a sociology professor at Wake Forest University studying American gun culture, I can’t stop thinking about Najee Baker, a 21-year-old student shot and killed on our campus recently.

Sun Journal is your source for “real news” (New Bern Sun Journal) -- Thanks to the current occupant of the White House, we’ve heard a lot about “fake news” over the past couple of years. Whenever President Donald Trump is faced with a news story which contradicts his version of the “facts,” he often dismisses it as “fake news.” But that dangerous and destructive habit on the part of our nation’s leader is fodder for another day’s editorial. Today, we want to talk instead about real news and to reaffirm The Sun Journal’s absolute commitment to real news.

KELLY HINCHCLIFFE: After yearlong power struggle, state education leaders take battle to NC Supreme Court (WRAL-TV analysis) -- The North Carolina Supreme Court will hear two State Board of Education lawsuits on Wednesday, including the board's high-profile battle with State Superintendent Mark Johnson over control of the state's $10 billion public school system.

ALEX GRANADOS & ANSLISA SORRELLS: N.C. Supreme Court to hear battle for control of public education (EdNC analysis) -- The N.C. Supreme Court will hear from lawyers for the state, the State Board of Education and Superintendent Mark Johnson in the battle over holds chief responsibility for public education. The legal matter started in 2016 after Republican Mark Johnson beat longtime Superintendent June Atkinson, a Democrat. In December 2016, the General Assembly passed HB 17 that rearranged responsibilities of the superintendent, moving certain powers away from the State Board of Education. The State Board sued the state over the new legislation, leading ultimately to a hearing before a three-judge panel which ended in victory for Johnson.

Fairness in education (Winston-Salem Journal) -- The state Supreme Court is set to hear arguments today on whether the legislature can weaken the authority of the state school board. We hope the high court will rule against this wrongheaded push.

LAURA LESLIE & TRAVIS FAIN: Governor's Office says no legislative say over pipeline fund spending(WRAL-TV analysis) -- Legislators won't get to decide how to spend a nearly $58 million fund being set up to mitigate the environmental impacts of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, a spokesman for Gov. Roy Cooper said.

Drilling showdown begins (Fayetteville Observer) -- Gov. Roy Cooper had a simple and firm message for U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke when the two met Saturday: Give us what you gave Florida or we’ll see you in court. That’s about the right approach to the federal government’s recent irresponsible move to open up just about all of this country’s coastline to offshore oil and gas drilling.

EZEQUIEL MINAYA: As Utilities Move To Pass Tax Savings To Customers, Credit Concerns Arise (Wall Street Journal analysis) -- Regulated utilities are moving to pass tax savings to consumers, but credit analysts worry about pinched revenues.

CATHERINE KOZAK: NC, VA Renew Effort To Manage Estuary (Coastal Review analysis) -- North Carolina and Virginia have updated a partnership to more effectively manage the Albemarle-Pamlico estuary, the second largest estuary in the continental United States.

ROSE HOBAN: Oral Health Initiative Seeks to Reduce Disease Among Seniors (N.C. Health News analysis) -- Good oral health is more than just keeping teeth pearly white, it's an important disease prevention step, especially for people in poor health.

RICHARD CRAVER: Medicaid expansion could lower baby-death rates (Winston-Salem Journal analysis) -- A state child advocacy group has added its voice to those urging the Republican-controlled legislature to expand Medicaid to more than 500,000 North Carolinians States that have expanded Medicaid have a lower infant mortality rate than those who haven’t, NC Child said in a 2016 report.

REBECCA WALTER: Blue Ridge Health urges lawmakers to continue federal funding (Hendersonville Times-News) -- Facing a 70 percent reduction in federal funding, staff at Blue Ridge Health reached out to members of Congress, urging them to extend funding for community health centers. Locally, calls were made and e-mails sent to U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows, U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry, U.S. Sen. Richard Burr and U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis. Board members, staff and patients at health centers around the country were encouraged to reach out to their lawmakers. Federal funding for community health centers like Blue Ridge Health has been in limbo since Congress failed to come to an agreement on Oct. 1.

STEPHANIE CARSON: Birth of a Problem as NC Continues Struggle with Healthy Births (Public News Service) -- In the 21st century, with modern technology and resources, having a healthy pregnancy and a baby in North Carolina isn't something families can take for granted, according to a new report by NC Child. The study cites North Carolina's 2016 ranking of 39th in the country in infant mortality and makes the case that improving maternal health can increase the state's ranking in future years.