Cite as: 523 U. S. 296 (1998)
Opinion of the Court
Scalia, J., delivered the opinion for a unanimous Court.
Javier Aguilar, Special Assistant Attorney General of Texas, argued the cause for appellant. With him on the briefs were Dan Morales, Attorney General, Jorge Vega, First Assistant Attorney General, and Deborah A. Verbil, Special Assistant Attorney General.
Paul R. Q. Wolfson argued the cause for the United States. With him on the brief were Solicitor General Waxman, Acting Assistant Attorney General Pinzler, Deputy Solicitor General Wallace, Mark L. Gross, and Miriam R. Eisenstein.*
Justice Scalia delivered the opinion of the Court.
Appellant, the State of Texas, appeals from the judgment of a three-judge District Court for the District of Columbia. The State had sought a declaratory judgment that the pre-clearance provisions of § 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, 79 Stat. 439, as amended, 42 U. S. C. § 1973c, do not apply to implementation of certain sections of the Texas Education Code that permit the State to sanction local school districts for failure to meet state-mandated educational achievement levels. This appeal presents the question whether the controversy is ripe.
I
In Texas, both the state government and local school districts are responsible for the public schools. There are more than 1,000 school districts, each run by an elected school board. In 1995, the Texas Legislature enacted a
*Daniel J. Popeo filed a brief for the Washington Legal Foundation et al. as amici curiae urging reversal.
Pamela S. Karlan, Laughlin McDonald, Neil Bradley, Cristina Correia, Elaine R. Jones, Theodore M. Shaw, Norman J. Chachkin, Jacqueline Berrien, Victor A. Bolden, and Steven R. Shapiro filed a brief for the American Civil Liberties Union et al. as amici curiae urging affirmance.
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