RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ A federal court has picked a new congressional map for Virginia that could be in place for this year’s election. The new map does change the makeup of the 5th and 6th districts, the two that serve our portion of central and southwest Virginia; it concerns three districts between Richmond and Hampton Roads. Last year the panel concluded for a second time that legislators in 2012 illegally packed black voters into one district in order to make adjacent districts safer for Republican incumbents. But the panel’s decision could be overturned. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed in November to hear an appeal by Virginia Republicans who want to preserve the map approved in 2012. The justices are set to hear arguments on the case in February or March.
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