A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that the state of South Dakota violated the voting rights of Indians on the Pine Ridge Reservation and the Rosebud Sioux Reservation.

The state packed voters on the reservations into one district. The American Civil Liberties Union, on behalf of tribal members, sued and said Indian voters should be spread across two districts.

U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier agreed. She said the state's redistricting plan "impermissibly dilutes the Indian vote" and gave the state 45 days to come up with a new plan.

Get the Story:
Judge: Indian rights violated in redistricting (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 9/16)
Judge says South Dakota violates federal voting rights law (The Rapid City Journal 9/16)
Federal Court Rules South Dakota Violated Voting Rights of Native Americans (ACLU 9/15)

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Federal judge to issue voting rights ruling this summer (05/04)
ACLU rests case in Indian voting rights trial (04/23)
S.D. Indians testify of racism in voting rights trial (04/15)
Trial into Indian voting rights in South Dakota continues (4/14)
Trial examines Indian voting rights in South Dakota (4/13)