RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The U.S. Supreme Court has denied a request from Virginia Republicans to block a federal court from approving new legislative district boundaries.
The order was issued Tuesday, two days ahead of a scheduled lower court hearing in Richmond on proposed new state legislative maps.
A federal judicial panel has ordered a new map after ruling that lawmakers racially gerrymandered 11 state House districts by packing black voters into them.
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal of the case some time this year.
Republicans said having a lower court approve a new map only to have it discarded later by the Supreme Court would confuse voters and candidates.
