GOP Urges High Court To Dump New Voter Maps
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Republicans are urging the California Supreme Court to dump newly drawn state Senate districts planned for this year's election.
Sacramento lawyer Charles Bell told the court Tuesday that Republican interests appear to have gathered enough signatures to qualify a ballot initiative asking voters to overturn the new maps. Bell, who is leading the legal challenge, says that probability compels the court to block use of the new maps.
George Waters, arguing on behalf of Secretary of State Debra Bowen, said it is too soon to know whether the redistricting initiative will make the November ballot. Waters argued that it's too late to redraw political boundaries this year.
Voters created the California Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw the new maps and take the highly politicized process away from the state Legislature.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
