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Lucas v. Forty-Fourth General Assembly of Colorado Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: Colorado voters approved a legislative apportionment plan where one house was not based on population. The Supreme Court struck it down, holding that a popular vote cannot validate a plan that violates the “one person, one vote” principle under the Equal Protection Clause.
Legal Significance: Established that fundamental constitutional rights, specifically the right to an equally weighted vote under the Equal Protection Clause, cannot be denied or waived by a majority vote in a popular referendum.
Lucas v. Forty-Fourth General Assembly of Colorado Law School Study Guide
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Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
Colorado voters, through a statewide initiative (Amendment No. 7), adopted a new legislative apportionment plan. The plan apportioned the state House of Representatives substantially on a population basis. However, the state Senate’s apportionment was based on a combination of population and other factors, including geography and county lines, perpetuating a pre-existing scheme with significant population disparities. Under the plan, counties with only 33.2% of the state’s population could elect a majority of the Senate, and the population-variance ratio between the largest and smallest senatorial districts was approximately 3.6-to-1. In the same election, voters rejected an alternative proposal that would have apportioned both houses based strictly on population. Appellants, voters from underrepresented urban counties, challenged Amendment No. 7 as a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The District Court upheld the plan, emphasizing that it was rationally based and had been approved by a majority of Colorado’s electorate, including majorities in the allegedly disadvantaged counties.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Does a state legislative apportionment scheme that is not based substantially on population in both houses violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, even if it was approved by a majority of the state’s voters in a popular referendum?
Yes. The Colorado apportionment plan is unconstitutional. The Court reasoned that the Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore
IRAC Legal Analysis
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Legal Issue
Does a state legislative apportionment scheme that is not based substantially on population in both houses violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, even if it was approved by a majority of the state’s voters in a popular referendum?
Conclusion
This case is a crucial corollary to *Reynolds v. Sims*, establishing that Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim
Legal Rule
The Equal Protection Clause requires that seats in both houses of a Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate veli
Legal Analysis
The Court extended its holding in the companion case, *Reynolds v. Sims*, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- The Equal Protection Clause requires both houses of a state legislature