Lawsuit filed over Ballard’s redistricting plan

Three Democratic members of Indianapolis' City-County Council are suing to overturn a redistricting plan passed by the council's former Republican majority.

The lawsuit filed Tuesday against three Republican council members had long been expected because Democrats took control of the council after the 2011 election.

The suit filed on behalf of three members of the Marion County Election Board contends that work on the Republican-passed redistricting plan was not done in 2012, as is required by Indiana law. It asks a Marion County judge to order the drafting of a new set of council district boundaries.

Republican Mayor Greg Ballard has maintained that the redistricting plan he signed is "legal, fair and compact." In December, he vetoed a new council redistricting plan, a move that was expected after he issued a June budget veto of council members' $180,000 funding request.