NCGOP Response to Three-Judge Panel Ruling on Legislative Districts | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    Raleigh, NC     Today North Carolina's three-judge panel ordered new legislative districts to be drawn and used in this year's election. North Carolina Republicans responded below:

    "No one should be surprised that the three-judge panel ruled the way it did. The panel had no intention of allowing our elected officials to fulfill their constitutional roles in redistricting. It is now up to the US Supreme Court to preserve the role of state legislatures under our constitutional system. North Carolina has a duty to engage in this fight. Bottom line, the three-judge panel has replaced the judgement of our elected officials with its own, simply because they don't like the Republican legislature. In our democratic system this cannot be allowed." - NCGOP Chairman Robin Hayes

    "If a power-hungry federal court can order that a California-based professor gets to usurp the North Carolina legislature's constitutional authority to draw election maps, then there is no limit to federal judicial power. This is nothing short of judicial tyranny." - NC Lt. Gov. Dan Forest

    "It is a shocking move for one of the same judges just reined in by a bipartisan U.S. Supreme Court less than 24 hours ago to again attempt to create chaos and confusion in an election process set to begin in just three weeks. The legislature has repeatedly asked this court to provide guidance, citing the urgency of the upcoming candidate filing period. Contrary to our pleas and fresh off yesterday's stinging rebuke from the high court, this panel has unleashed another bout of uncertainty that could harm North Carolina voters who are entitled to free and fair elections. We will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court." - North Carolina House Rep. David Lewis (R-Harnett) and Sen. Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell), chairmen of their respective chambers' redistricting committees

• Contact: Emily Weeks
•     Emily.Weeks@ncgop.org