Missouri has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate a Republican-drawn congressional map that lower courts blocked, setting up a fight over the state's districts.

The map at the center of the case would redraw Missouri's congressional boundaries in a way that stands to benefit Republicans. State officials want the justices to lift the block that has kept the plan from taking effect and to allow it to be used.

Separately, the Supreme Court acted this week on another matter tied to the campaign season. The justices granted an emergency appeal from Republicans concerning the rates that television stations charge political parties for advertising, clearing the way for parties to purchase certain ad time at lower rates. The decision reversed a block that had been in place.

Missouri's congressional delegation and the shape of its districts have been the subject of extended legal and political maneuvering. The state's Republican officials have pressed to put the new map in place, while opponents have challenged it in court, leading to the block that Missouri now seeks to overturn.

The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the Missouri request. Its decision, whenever it comes, will determine which map governs the state's House races.

References

1. 1.Source headline — Missouri's request to the Supreme Court to revive its Republican-drawn congressional map and the lower-court block
2. 2.Source headline — Supreme Court granting a Republican emergency appeal on political advertising rates