news-record.com

GREENSBORO — Motions to prevent the opening of candidate filing for the Guilford County Board of Commissioners primary have been filed.

The Southern Coalition for Social Justice, which is suing the state and the county over a redistricting law that leaves nearly 43,000 county voters without representation on the board, filed the motions late Tuesday night. It also has asked for a federal judge to make a summary judgement on whether the new law is unconstitutional.

"We believe we've put in front of the court all the evidence needed to decide this case," said Anita Earls, the coalition's founder. "We don't think there are any disputed issues of material fact."

Earls’ group is suing the county and the state on behalf of the state and local chapters of the NAACP and voters in Guilford County’s District 6.

No sitting commissioner lives in that redrawn district. The new legislation states that no election can be held to elect one until 2014.

Republican and Democratic commissioners have called on the General Assembly to correct the error. Sen. Phil Berger, an Eden Republican and leader of the state Senate, has said he doesn't see a legal problem with the law as it is written.

Unless a judge intervenes, filing for the primary will begin Monday.