30
Opinion of the Court
would release a revised and final version of its legislative redistricting plan in a few days.
In early December, before the state court issued its final plan, the District Court stayed all proceedings in the Cotlow case, and enjoined parties to that action from "attempting to enforce or implement any order of the . . . Minnesota Special Redistricting Panel which has proposed adoption of a reap-portionment plan relating to state redistricting or Congressional redistricting." App. to Juris. Statement 154. The court explained its action as necessary to prevent the state court from interfering with the legislature's efforts to redistrict and with the District Court's jurisdiction. It mentioned the Emison Voting Rights Act allegations as grounds for issuing the injunction, which it found necessary in aid of its jurisdiction, see 28 U. S. C. § 1651. One judge dissented.
Four days later the state court issued an order containing its final legislative plan, subject to the District Court's injunction and still conditioned on the legislature's failure to adopt a lawful plan. The same order provided, again subject to the District Court's injunction, that congressional redistricting plans be submitted by mid-January. The obstacle of the District Court injunction was removed on January 10, 1992, when, upon application of the Cotlow plaintiffs, we vacated the injunction. 502 U. S. 1022.
When the legislature reconvened in January, both Houses approved the corrections to Chapter 246 contained in Senate File 1596 and also adopted a congressional redistricting plan that legislative committees had drafted the previous October. The Governor, however, vetoed the legislation. On January 30, the state court issued a final order adopting its legislative plan and requiring that plan to be used for the 1992 primary and general elections. By February 6, pursuant to an order issued shortly after this Court vacated the injunction, the parties had submitted their proposals for congressional redistricting, and on February 17 the state court held hearings on the competing plans.
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