The House approved a new voting district map Friday after hours of committee and floor debate. The Senate plans to approve its new map Monday.
The maps are to replace ones drawn two years ago that courts ruled were illegal partisan gerrymanders, and the court order required an unusually open process to craft the new ones. The push to meet a deadline next week prompted criticism that the public wasn't given enough time to review the proposed maps and ask questions or express concerns. So, even though the House has already passed its map, members will sit in on a Senate public comment period Monday to determine if they need to make any changes through Senate amendments to it.
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The vote for the House plan was so partisan that the bill had to be split in pieces for final approval, with a handful of Democrats supporting the bulk of the proposal but none backing changes to three House districts in Columbus, Pender and Robeson counties.