Veteran U.S. Supreme Court watchers saw good omens for the Legislature in its lawsuit against the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission as several key justices expressed sympathy with lawmakers’ argument that the U.S. Constitution requires them to draw congressional lines.

The United States Supreme Court set out to today determine what the Founding Fathers meant when they wrote that state legislatures shall determine the time, manner and place of federal elections.

Former US Solicitor General Paul Clement, who represents the Legislature in Arizona Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, kicked things off today (March 2) at the US Supreme Court.

The fate of Arizona’s commission-based process for drawing the state’s congressional districts will come down to how the U.S. Supreme Court defines the word “legislature.”

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to lift the requirement that Arizona and other states get federal pre-approval for election law changes could lead to an era of greater competitiveness in the Grand Canyon State’s rigidly partisan legislative districts.

Courts in 2014 struck down Arizona laws by siding with gays, abortion providers, and illegal immigrants. Public school students also got a big win in court, but that case probably won’t be resolved any time soon.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in the Legislature’s lawsuit against the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission on March 2.

The fact that politics may have been involved in drawing legislative lines is no reason to declare them illegal, the attorney for the Independent Redistricting Commission is urging the U.S. Supreme Court.

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed this morning to decide who can legally draw Arizona’s congressional districts.

In a brief order, the justices said they will consider whether the U.S. Constitution requires the boundaries to be drawn by the elected Legislature – and only the Legislature.

Claiming illegal political motives, attorneys for Republicans are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to void the lines drawn by the Independent Redistricting Commission for the state’s 30 legislative districts.