U.S. Rejects 2 N.C. Plans for Districts (The Charlotte Observer)
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December 9, 1981

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Case Files, Thornburg v. Gingles Working Files - Guinier. U.S. Rejects 2 N.C. Plans for Districts (The Charlotte Observer), 1981. ea6bb108-dc92-ee11-be37-6045bdeb8873. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/110eec27-62e9-4b9d-879b-971d29d39076/us-rejects-2-nc-plans-for-districts-the-charlotte-observer. Accessed July 13, 2025.
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htg:lrr ., t a{q ''a t'ih) )... -. (: '('-' -?l .a ii :- :'., :-8:gl a .iJ ,) '*rli'. ,&rl .t'. .,:liEI :: :a lt} t,, N o() o t I It h't l; a ,oo!.rv.r tl.fl wrlLr 'mOStfy' laStern Coulties in NOrth WASHINGTON - The U.S. Carolina and all of South Carolina. 2 Ntr Justice Department landed a one- ln his.letlef to'Brgck, Bradford two punch Tuesday bn North Car- neyircilOi,"t'eaa of the depart- rj'olina's already battered legislative ment's"iivil'iiltrts' division, said igedistricting plans. ',.1;': .: ,- the N.C..lorigiessional plan was '.:'. In a lettei io state'ete;tions of fi- rejected :'beciuse of questions -cials, the department iejected new abbut the placement of - Durham -maps for both the state-'s congres-. ,County, .which."has,a large black sional and state senatorial dis- population. "}.,.:i. tricts on grounds some of them When new ccingressional !is- nahe it more difficult lor blacks, tricts wereteb{tea..Uy state lliw. to Elect candidates, thus vlolating r rliakers earfief this year; supfrrt- '. Unless state officials fight the fought. to keep Durham County Justice Department ruling in- i'frOm'.being 'addrid to Fountain's tourt, it will effectively force the 2nd District, causing a.sometimes ;N.Cl General Assemblyto meet in ; bitter deadlock. ' ' I t",i, i.',; I i its third special session in foulrtr'The 1980 census showedfouh- moirths to draw'new districts for'i tain's district was undeipopu-months to draw new dtstricts for':i tain's district was underpopu- ,r the state's ll members of Con- , lated. . I ' . .'---!'.'artl I gress and 50 state 5gn3ls15.'lJ..,ii: i,.t nut'irisieaO Lt f,COine Oi?i,". ' ilThis means that they-cannot': county,- tfrg.[6rrymakers-apprbr;eo I 2 N.C. Plahs For f)istrictS'-. ., , Continued from Page lA . . counties. ;' "- ' - He also seemed to urSe the le8' lslators to use single'member dis' trlcts, in which each of the 50 sen' ators would reptesent' one ceparate district rather than the culrent sltuation under which some dlstrlcts elect 8s many 8s ,our senatorg.'iria. t.' ' : ' t .. ., lti'. ' :.S'::''"'' -''The Justibe DePartment ruling adds to what alreadY has been a trying experience for the General Aisefrutv.,,i'S*" i i\\ 1 qffill;{i} State legislators' adoPted .4ew congressional, .i'state House ind rtate Senete distrlcts before ad' lournlng last JulY, as required bY ihe state and federal constitutions. The NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund later filed .sult egainst all three Plans, charglng that they 'watered down bleck voting strength, devisted too far lrom- statistically ','equal" , dis' trlcts, and relied on q 1968 coqsti' tutional amendment .that ..w8s never submitted for Justice Pe' partment reviey. ..,' . . ,.:l til i Under the Voting' Rlghts iAbt, any change in eiection law ln cov' ered areas must first be aPproved by the Justice Department or thc U.S. Distrlct Court ln Washlngton before it can take effect. ":ri: r ' ' - !-,: .' . '. j .q -.- :r) ' -.rt': i',|.t t"- 'Because ol that NAACP defense fund lawsuit, lawmakers met acain iil late October to draw-still nEwer stite legislative plans that would more. closelY meet'equal oopulatibn itandaids,' tlthough itr6 Senate' deciied to change nothlng until lt heard from the Justice DePartment. The House drew a new maP lor lts 120 mem' bers th-at ls still under 1evte1- ., Slnce then, stlll another lawsult challenging the plans has been tiled by state Republlcans, and the Justlce DePartment has reJected thc 1968 constltutional ban \rn crosslng county llnes, whlch elec' tion officials finatly submitted for review. I EI o.lolcl'I N] I E € ogl (o d(o (o (o I o,F G' o(, o .Eoo Lo .= oo o Eo E Lo IL ..: ilrhis means trrat tir""y : sln nrt: I .i;i;ii:'i"hx"-:iit"3J;Tr1,il r elect -congressmen dr state rsen- ta btari ttriftiAdea alarhairie.'anA i ators under those' plans"tv said ,.ChLttam couhties to'hi$ distiict. i John Wilson,'a Justice De'part-,cinA put Oianee.b1rt"m'A;d ;6;: I ment spokesman. "It means that .i trloui Wake c-ounties toeeiher'in'a I both plans arei-legally unenforce-]'lh6w4thDistiict.'- rtti:.-]..yJ' ; I able.":. .; '.;.. I'i'':.:."i l:t-Becauie ot-:ttj ctrariiieilitic I Alex Brock, N.C. electiofl$ dl.',silIoe. Fouiitatfirs aistrict came\a I rector, said legislative leaders ibe 'knowir nationalv as .,Foun- I would meet this week to decide. tlain's Fishhook,'r; aiO ReynoiOs Iwhat to do about the decislons. . ' , ilrew attention icj its shaoe-in his I Brock also said it was inevitable letter.. 'i ' ' ' j'; '' "';..' I l! li .t !e:f l[1;l i :' ::ll' t,Yn"] L1 kii;, it., i? ffi:i1', {, i[ti1;' Io'llf illt,rink there,s aly_11,9,,; *:;,, ri;ilf.t'*imi,,.,ftl,'.I ition thev're soins to .,?.T"._I1.\1" lpp.ii, e;lfi;Ato uiiri,a"'pur- iBrock said. "rhe question it f,I",ri'ioilili"il"; ifritl,oi#Jit lwhen." l-io'tr,.-iiouif cJnliur- 'The ruling represents tlg.fir:l !,|XTit'*"o,rtrictins Committee,s i I..::".1:l'"i",i:l:'.:.i$?":[ff 'r,ii'i"sgff."1f, :*;;'J.;#.h;;,\The department enforces the Vot- ,j.l:^',;" caizr r.ar rha ciaro,c l. ing Rights act, tirsi"' "'' :".'- Revnolds said that the state's r b? s -ii- t.u "rq; d. f ; tT {llc^hr"q il Hii?i:: : * l, r l lt :l.t:., l?u Tli'"l i Hlli fi li:', Jl :,tH,' "' Uf.".:X: gix*; H*l ;.,::*l* {:}:,ffgressional redistricting plan. :'*""- All or part of 22 statis are cov- See U.S. Page l7A, Col. I oo' o) doo 6Eoo tr !o-