The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday rejected an emergency request from Virginia Democrats to reinstate a voter-approved congressional map.
In an unsigned order in Scott v. McDougle, the court said, “The application for stay presented to The Chief Justice and by him referred to the Court is denied.”
The denial keeps intact a May 8 ruling from the Supreme Court of Virginia, which held that the legislative process used to advance the proposed constitutional amendment violated Article XII, Section 1 of the Virginia Constitution.
The state court ruled last month that lawmakers failed to follow required procedures before placing the amendment on the ballot, violating the Virginia Constitution.
The ruling effectively blocked use of the newly approved redistricting plan. Democratic leaders had asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay the state court’s judgment while they pursued further review.
Virginia Republicans urged the justices to deny the request. They argued that Democrats had no viable federal claim and that the dispute rested entirely on state law.
The U.S. Supreme Court rarely intervenes in cases centered on a state supreme court’s interpretation of state law, making the appeal a longshot.
The amendment grew out of a mid-decade redistricting push launched by Democratic lawmakers last fall. The General Assembly approved the proposal in October and again in January, sending it to voters for ratification in April.
Virginian approved the measure before the state court blocked it in a 4-3 decision days later.
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