This time around it took only four days.
Of course, this time lawmakers also had a court-imposed deadline hanging over their heads.
Legislators were forced to draw new maps last week after the state Supreme Court ruled April 30 that state House and Senate districts passed by the N.C. General Assembly were unconstitutional. In a 5-2 decision, the Supreme Court decided that the plans approved by the legislature in November violated a clause in the state constitution that forbids splitting of counties when drawing district lines.
State lawmakers had until noon Monday to present new redistricting plans to N.C. Superior Court Judge Knox Jenkins Jr., who was scheduled to determine Wednesday whether the plans meet the Supreme Court's requirements. Knox's ruling was not available as of press time.
Legislative leaders convened a special session May 14 to draw new district lines. By late afternoon Friday -- just four days later -- the new maps were approved by both houses.
The new redistricting plans passed the House 62-55 in a largely partisan vote. Likewise, the plans passed the Senate 28-9, also along party lines.
The new plans split fewer counties and eliminates multi-member districts.
But Republican lawmakers in both chambers continued to grumble that Democratic leaders had forced through a plan that still violated the Supreme Court's directive in order to hold on to their majority in both chambers.
"Nowhere does it say you only comply with the law when it doesn't hurt Democrats," said Rep. Art Pope, D-Wake, who was one of several Republican lawmakers to present his own plans.
