California High Courts Reject Challenges for Redistricting

The California Supreme Court unanimously rejected two challenges to the boundaries of on Wednesday challenging redistricting lines.

The legal challenge was brought by Republicans hoping to overturn congressional and state Senate voting district maps.

Their lawsuit alleged that current boundaries violate state constitutional requirements that require districts to be compact and contiguous and also fail to comply with the federal voting rights laws governing minority representation.

The judges did not comment on their reasons for rejecting the lawsuits, but considered the legal challenges brought by Republicans in a closed session before rejecting it.

"We're disappointed that the court denied the petition on the Senate districts without a hearing," said Charles H. Bell, an attorney for the plaintiffs.

California voters previously took the redistricting task away from legislature and created the citizen's commission to do it every 10 years after the census to adjust according to the population.

Supporters of a referendum effort against the Senate maps have until Nov. 13 to obtain 504,000 signatures to place their measure on next year's ballot.

Similar efforts in the past to overturn regarding congressional districts have failed.

A million dollar donation from the CEO of Mercury Insurance, George Joseph, allowed the California Republican Party to pay for the signature-gathering effort this week.

Those who oppose the lawsuit and referendum say the maps currently reflect a percent drop in Republicans in the California's electorate.

"The Supreme Court has struck a blow against politics as usual by upholding the fair and representative maps (drawn by the citizens panel)," Commissioner Stan Forbes said.

According to the California secretary of state, Republicans made up 35 percent of voters in 2003 while 31 percent were reported in February 2011.

After several months of intensive public testimony the citizen's commission produced new political maps last summer. Although some minority rights groups, particularly Latinos, complained that the maps did not properly reflect their growth and threatened to sue in federal court although none have taken any legal action.

[For the record: A previous version of this story said the California Supreme Court rejected the redistricting rather than rejecting the legal challenges.]

The Associated Press contributed to this report.