KFDA - NewsChannel 10 / Amarillo News, Weather, SportsLawsuits fly in fight to redraw NM districts

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico's redistricting battle has moved to the courts, but the state Supreme Court may have to determine which judge will handle the assignment of drawing new boundaries of districts for elected offices.

Redistricting lawsuits have been filed in state district courts in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Lovington by Republican and Democratic legislators and other voters.

The lawsuits ask judges to create new redistricting plans for Congress, the state House of Representatives, the state Senate and the Public Regulation Commission.

The cases will end up being consolidated. However, it's unclear which court and judge will take the lead in redistricting. It's possible the state Supreme Court may have to decide that question.

Ten years ago, the Supreme Court assigned a Bernalillo County District Court judge the redistricting task.