Split North Carolina Appeals Court Retains 2 Amendments

A North Carolina appeals court panel has overturned a court ruling that voided amendments to the state constitution because legislators who put referendums on the ballot were elected from racially biased districts. The challenge to actions by the Republican-dominated General Assembly is not over after Tuesday's split decision by the Court of Appeals and will be decided by the state Supreme Court. The litigation centered on two amendments approved by voters in 2018, including a photo identification requirement to vote. A trial judge declared the legislature lacked the power to approve legislation that created the referendums because federal judges had found illegal gerrymandering.