Judges let North Carolina GOP redistricting plans stand

By GARY D. ROBERTSON
Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina judicial panel has refused to throw out redistricting maps drawn by the Republican-controlled General Assembly, rejecting arguments that the lines were illegal because they were politically stacked for the GOP. The Tuesday decision by the three trial judges followed a quick trial last week. The ruling will be appealed by the advocacy groups and voters who challenged the new congressional and legislative lines in court. The state Supreme Court had ordered the trial judges to rule by Tuesday, apparently to discourage further delays in the 2022 election schedule. The March primary elections already have been postponed to May.