The U.S. Supreme Court has told North Carolina's top court to reconsider a redistricting lawsuit filed by Democrats and allies after the nation's highest court struck down congressional districts as racial gerrymanders.The justices issued a two-sentence order Tuesday in the redistricting case that challenged 2011 congressional and General Assembly districts.
The state Supreme Court twice upheld the districts, but separate federal lawsuits also challenged those maps. Now the justices told the state Supreme Court to review its previous rulings since justices agreed last week the original 1st and 12th Congressional Districts were illegal.
Not fully clear is what Tuesday's order means for state legislative lines. The U.S. Supreme Court has not acted on the request of legislative leaders to consider a lawsuit throwing out 28 General Assembly districts.
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