News & Observer: Democrats, Republicans both accused of violating court order as they redraw district maps

RALEIGH – Outside legal groups are accusing both Democrats and Republicans of breaking the rules as North Carolina lawmakers go about redrawing political maps that were recently ruled unconstitutional.

Lawyers for Common Cause, which won the recent lawsuit forcing this new redistricting session, say Senate Republicans violated a court order by ordering members of the media and the public to stay out of the area where senators and staff are drawing maps.

And lawyers for at least two different conservative-leaning groups say Democrats might be in violation of the same court order, pointing to a statement from a Democratic lawmaker that appeared to reference secret map-making meetings. …

“As a result of Sen. Hise’s order removing citizens and journalists from the map-drawing area, members of the committee were sitting at computers and amending maps without the public able to know how or why legislators were making changes to proposed districts,” Common Cause deputy director Brent Laurenz said in a press release.