More waiting on Congressional maps with Roberts’ request

By GARY D. ROBERTSON
Associated Press

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — North Carolina voters and legislators will be kept guessing for at least several more days on whether the state’s current congressional districts can be used in the March 15 primary or have to be redrawn before votes are cast.

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts said Wednesday lawyers who so far successfully sued to overturn the 1st and 12th Districts have until next Tuesday to respond to the state’s emergency request to let the current boundaries remain for next month’s primary.

The wait increases the chance the General Assembly will have to reconvene before the court rules to draw new districts. That’s because a lower court ordered the General Assembly to draw new boundaries by Feb. 19 after it found race played too large a role in mapmaking.

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