The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled against the General Assembly’s redrawing of the Wake County Commission and Wake County School Board districts.
“This is clearly a decisive victory for the citizens of Wake County,” Wake County Democratic Party chairman Brian Fitzsimmons said, “and it further proves that the Assembly’s continued relentless aggression against municipalities across NC has now been proven to be unwarranted, unprovoked, and officially unconstitutional.”
“Haven’t read it yet,” said Commissioner John Burns, “but I am gratified that the Fourth Circuit saw the districts for what they were – unconstitutional.”
“I believed these districts were improper, and I am grateful to the plaintiffs for stepping forward to bring the case and to the Fourth Circuit for considering all the evidence,” Burns later told the INDY.
In the opinion, the Court says, “We see no reason why the November 2016 elections should proceed under the unconstitutional plans we strike down today.”
Last year, the General Assembly approved the districts 32-16, led by Sen Chad Barefoot (R-Raleigh). The move was engineered after Democrats swept Republicans out of the County Commission in the 2014 election. The school board districts, as well, were thrown into disarray.
We’ll be updating this blog with more as it becomes available.
