LITTLE ROCK -- A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit challenging Arkansas' new state House districts after the Justice Department declined to intervene in the case.
U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky followed through on his promise to dismiss the suit shortly after the DOJ said it wouldn't join the case as a plaintiff. Rudofsky, who was nominated to the bench by former President Donald Trump, last week said he was prepared to toss the case, but gave DOJ five days to intervene.
The plan created 11 majority-Black districts, which the groups challenging the map argued was too few. They argued the state could have drawn 16 majority-Black districts to more closely mirror the state's Black population.
In last week's decision, Rudofsky said groups challenging the state's new House boundaries had a "strong merits case" but ruled that private groups couldn't sue to claim violations of the federal Voting Rights Act.
The DOJ, in its filing Tuesday, said it believes that private parties have a right to file lawsuits under the VRA and said its decision to not intervene doesn't preclude the government from taking further action.
Rudofsky's order came hours after the one-week filing period for state and federal offices in Arkansas began Tuesday.
"With candidate filing officially underway today, I am pleased Arkansans can confidently move forward with the election process," Attorney General Leslie Rutledge said in a statement.
The Arkansas Public Policy Panel and the Arkansas State Conference NAACP had filed a lawsuit challenging the new lines for the state's 100 House districts and sought a preliminary inunction blocking them. The groups argued the state's redistricting plan dilutes the influence of Arkansas' Black voters.
"The DOJ correctly noted that private parties have always been able to enforce section 2 of the Voting Rights Act," said Holly Dickson, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas, which represented the groups challenging the redistricting plan. "We are visiting with our clients and we will announce any next steps once a decision has been made."
The new boundaries were approved in December by the Republican-controlled state Board of Apportionment. The panel is comprised of Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Attorney General Rutledge and Secretary of State John Thurston. Republicans hold a majority in both chambers of the Legislature.