Judge to toss Arkansas redistricting case unless DOJ joins

By ANDREW DeMILLO
Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A federal judge says he’s dismissing a lawsuit challenging Arkansas’ new state House districts as diluting the influence of Black voters, unless the Justice Department joins the case. U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky on Thursday gave the Justice Department five days to join the lawsuit as a plaintiff. Two groups are challenging the new districts for the state’s 100 House seats. The ruling comes days before the one-week filing period for state and legislative offices begins in Arkansas. The redistricting plan created 11 majority-Black districts, which the groups challenging the map argued was too few.