Kentucky Supreme Court Rules Legislative Maps Unconstitutional

The Kentucky Supreme Court has ruled that the latest maps of state legislative districts are unconstitutional.

Lawmakers approved new lines for state House and Senate districts earlier this year. But a circuit court judge declared them unconstitutional, citing a precedent that districts can't be more than five percent larger or smaller than their ideal size. Lawyers for the Legislative Research Commission promptly appealed the ruling on behalf of House and Senate leadership.

The Supreme Court's ruling means the current districts, which were approved in 2002, will be in place for this year's elections. The high court's ruling was unanimous. Due to time constraints, they did not provide a full opinion, but say they will do so later.

The decision means the legislature will once again have to take up redistricting. But with the 2012 session halfway over, it is unclear whether lawmakers will pass new maps this session or next year.