RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia's Supreme Court has heard an appeal by a redistricting advocacy group challenging a judge's ruling upholding 11 state House and Senate districts.
The court heard arguments Thursday in a lawsuit brought by OneVirginia2021, a group that alleges that during the 2011 redistricting process, lawmakers violated a state constitutional requirement that legislative districts be compact.
Last year, a Richmond Circuit Court judge ruled that the districts are constitutional.
On Thursday, an attorney representing OneVirginia2021 argued that compactness is a requirement for legislative districts that should be given priority. The group argues that the current redistricting process focuses too heavily on protecting incumbents and helping political parties.
The state attorney general's office has argued that the districts were compact and constitutionally sound.
It was not immediately clear when the court would rule.
