BISMARCK, ND (KXNET) — Twenty-three Attorneys General have published a petition calling for the Supreme Court to hear Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians V Howe.

The case is a dispute about North Dakota state districts. The plaintiffs argue that North Dakota has illegally racially gerrymandered lines to weaken the voting power of Native Americans. The plaintiffs are suing Michael Howe in his official capacity.

The defense argued that private parties cannot sue for violations of section 2 of the Voting Rights Act directly, but would need the federal government to bring these types of cases for them. The 8th Circuit ruled in favor of Howe, effectively gutting citizens' ability to use lawsuits to enforce the Voting Rights Act. The 8th Circuit notably did not rule on the actual merits o

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