The Supreme Court recently struck down North Carolina's gerrymandered legislative and congressional districts and Governor Roy Cooper called a special session of the state legislature to draw new maps, but the legislature has voted along party lines to cancel the special session.
The Republican-controlled state House and Senate both sided against the special session, describing Governor Cooper's call for a special session as "unconstitutional."
Also, words have no meaning.
RALEIGH -- The N.C. House voted 71-44 Thursday morning to cancel Gov. Roy Cooper’s call for a special legislative session for redistricting, making the case that the governor’s move Wednesday was unconstitutional.
The Senate agreed, citing the same reasons, a few minutes later. The Senate did not hold a vote on the issue, and Republicans cut off Democrats who sought to debate it on the floor.
As far as I can tell, Governor Cooper has the authority to call a special session. State Republicans simply didn't like the reason he called a special session; essentially arguing that he has no legal mandate for it.
That may be technically true, however the lower court has been ordered by the Supreme Court to decide when the state's districts will be redrawn.
There's no question the district maps will be redrawn, it's just a matter of when.
State Republicans appear to be delaying the inevitable process for as long as possible. That may be appalling but it probably shouldn't be surprising given that, for some of them, the gerrymandered districts are literally the only reason they're in office and possibly the only reason their office exists.