EXPLAINER: How Supreme Court case could alter US House seats

By DAVID A. LIEB
Associated Press

A U.S. Supreme Court case involving North Carolina’s congressional districts could have ramifications for the way voting districts are drawn in other states. At issue in Wednesday’s arguments is whether state courts can strike down U.S. House maps passed by state lawmakers for violating state constitutions. North Carolina’s Republican legislative leaders are asserting an “independent state legislature” theory — claiming the U.S. Constitution gives no role to state courts in federal election disputes. The outcome could affect similar lawsuits pending in state courts in Kentucky, New Mexico and Utah. It also could have implications in New York and Ohio, where state courts previously struck down U.S. House districts.