The U.S. Supreme Court will hear an appeal involving how Arizona redraws its political boundaries. The justices will hear arguments in the appeal on March 2.
At issue is whether the legislature’s 90 members can legally divide up the state into its nine congressional districts and assorted state legislative boundaries.
Attorneys for the legislature said that’s what is required under the U.S. Constitution. But in 2000, Arizona voters amended the state constitution to create the Independent Redistricting Commission that draws the districts based on census data.
A lower court earlier upheld the Redistricting Commission.
If the high court agrees with legislative attorneys, Republicans could have an advantage in the 2016 election, because GOP legislators are expected to draw boundaries that give their party an advantage.