Supreme Court: NC lawmakers must redraw House districts after ’08

RALEIGH (AP) — The state Supreme Court ruled today that lawmakers must redraw a state House district in Pender County after the 2008 elections.

Neighboring districts must also be redrawn.

The ruling says the redistricting unconstitutionally splits the county.

The high court voted 4-2 to reverse the findings of a three-judge Wake County Superior Court panel appointed to hear the case in 2005.

The high court says state lawmakers wrongly believed that House District 18 was exempt from a constitutional requirement that bars legislative districts that split counties.

Pender County and its commissioners sued the state in 2002. They argued the new House district lines were unconstitutional because voters had the right to be represented by a resident of the same county.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)