In win for Republicans, North Carolina court says gerrymandering is legal

North Carolina's highest court on Friday ruled that state law does not bar lawmakers from drawing congressional and state legislative lines for partisan benefit, boosting Republicans' odds next year of maintaining their narrow majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The decision threw out the court's previous decision, issued barely more than a year ago when liberal judges controlled the court, that had found partisan gerrymandering violated the state constitution.

That ruling had thrown out a Republican-drawn congressional map that would likely have secured them 11 of the state's 14 seats. Instead, Republicans and Democrats split the seats evenly in November under a court-approved map.