Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has filed an appeal to the United States Supreme Court to reverse a federal court's decision on redistricting maps for the state.
Maps drawn by the Texas Legislature during their 2011 session had been denied by the D.C. district court earlier this year.
In a statement, Abbott explained his office's position:
"The State of Texas is appealing this case because the lower court improperly extended the Voting Rights Act beyond the limits imposed by the Constitution and created new standards that have never been recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court. The maps enacted by the Texas Legislature satisfy all necessary legal requirements, so the judges in Washington, D.C. simply created new requirements in an attempt to justify their rejection of Texas' maps. In order to ensure the Texas Legislature's maps apply to the next election cycle, the State is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case and override the lower court's flawed decision during the Court's current term."
The appeal is not expected to effect the 2012 elections. Early voting for the November general election starts on Monday, Oct. 22.
