Senators react to Supreme Court
January 24, 2012 ·
This year's Congressional elections will be held using the redistricting map approved by the Legislature last year. The U. S. Supreme Court has put a lower court ruling ordering changes on hold.
Until the High Court ruled, senators were preparing to fight
it out over 4 new plans over the next two weeks. Majority Leader Senator John Unger says that
may still come.
“They still could uphold
the district court that the plan is now unconstitutional and give us guidelines
on exactly what we need to do to make it constitutional. The stay basically
says we can go forward with this election with this plan this November,” he
said.
Minority Leader Senator Mike Hall says there will be a
fight, it’s now just a question of when.
“It’s not over in the sense it will have to be revisited in the next
couple years. It does appear its over for this session I think. I think those
who serve us in that office in Washington
were hoping we’d settle that question during this session this year so it
doesn’t loom over them and even become an issue in their races,” Hall
concluded.
Randolph County Senator Clark Barnes, who had a major role
in last year’s plan and offered to controversial alternatives this year, says
it’s a time to celebrate. “I’m glad the Supreme Court in their vote has
respected the 10th amendment, the rights of the states to do what
they want to do, even if its wrong sometimes,” Barnes said.
The U. S.
Supreme Court could either strike down the lower court ruling and let the
current redistricting stand or uphold the lower court and issue new guidelines
for redistricting. However, all that
will take effect after the 2012 elections.