The Supreme Court has denied a stay in a case requiring Pennsylvania to redraw its congressional map before the 2018 midterms, according to
The Supreme Court has denied a stay in a case requiring Pennsylvania to redraw its congressional map before the 2018 midterms, according to multiple reports.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in January that the state’s congressional map was unconstitutional because it was drawn in a way that unfairly favored Republicans.
GOP lawmakers in the state asked the U. S. Supreme Court to halt the lower court’s decision, arguing that the Pennsylvania court violated a clause in the state’s constitution that allowed only state legislatures, not courts, to deal with congressional district maps.
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito rejected the appeal, allowing the lower decision to proceed, according to The Associated Press .
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s original ruling gave state lawmakers until Feb. 9 to submit a new map to Gov. Tom Wolf (D), who would then need to submit a plan to the court by Feb. 15. If they failed to meet that deadline, the court would redraw the map.
Pennsylvania Republicans currently hold 13 seats in the House, compared to just five Democrats. The GOP drew the state’s current map in 2011. The state has gone to Democratic presidential candidates in most recent elections, but narrowly went to President Trump in 2016.
Updated: 12:55 p.m.
