The special master appointed by the courts has issued his first drafts of redrawn legislative districts and is asking for feedback from both sides in the lawsuit.
From the News & Observer:
“Nathaniel Persily, selected less than two weeks ago to look at districts in Cumberland, Guilford, Hoke, Mecklenburg, Wake, Bladen, Sampson and Wayne counties adopted in August to elect General Assembly members in 2018, has asked for feedback from lawmakers and challengers of the 2017 maps.
Persily redrew state Senate district lines in Hoke and Cumberland counties to avoid what he called a “jutting arm into Fayetteville” supported by the Republican-led General Assembly, and to take in the whole town of Spring Lake to the north.
He redrew three Senate districts in Guilford County and House districts there as well. His map changes House districts in Bladen, Sampson and Wayne counties, as well as in Mecklenburg and Wake counties.”
The “independent” redrawing of maps is sure to hurt Republicans more as they have most to lose. Now lawmakers and challengers will have to make their case for changes by Friday, with the majority hoping the end result does not hurt them in 2018.
“He asked for each side to include suggestions for how to draw the lines so that incumbent lawmakers put in the same districts by Persily, or “double-bunked,” could be in individual districts “without degrading the underlying features of the plan.”
Persily also asked each side to provide him with data by Tuesday that includes the addresses of General Assembly members who have not announced that they would not seek re-election.”
Read more on the changes in the new district maps here.
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