Supreme Court takes up fight over Texas electoral districts

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a bid by Texas to revive Republican-drawn electoral districts for state legislative and U.S. congressional seats that were thrown out by a lower court for diminishing black and Hispanic voters' clout.

The high court in September put both lower court rulings that had invalidated the Republican-drawn districts on hold in September. The justices were divided 5-4, with its five conservatives backing the Texas Republicans and its four liberals dissenting, suggesting they could be similarly divided when they issue their eventual ruling on the merits of the case.

(Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Will Dunham)