Ohio asks U.S. Supreme Court to block court order that ruled the state's congressional map unconstit

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost formally asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to at least temporarily block a lower court ruling that ordered action within the next few weeks to replace Ohio’s congressional district map.

A three-judge federal panel hearing the Ohio case in Cincinnati unanimously ruled May 3 that Ohio’s congressional map was drawn so dramatically to favor the Republican Party that it predetermined election results and violated the U.S. Constitution.

The judges ordered the state to enact a new map by June 14, or risk the court doing so, to allow preparations to begin for the 2020 election. The same judges, two appointed by Democratic presidents and one by a Republican, on Thursday rejected the state’s request to stay the ruling.

Yost, in his filing with the Supreme Court, argued that the outcome of two other gerrymandering cases - one from Maryland and one from North Carolina - will ultimately impact the Ohio decision. The Supreme Court heard arguments in those cases in March and is expected to rule by the end of June.

Read more: https://www.cleveland.com/open/2019/05/ohio-asks-us-supreme-court-to-block-court-order-that-ruled-the-states-congressional-map-unconstitutional.html