The North Carolina General Assembly's defense of its congressional maps continues to get more expensive.
The state paid an additional $500,000 in legal fees last year. That's on top of almost $2 million already paid since 2011 to the law firm originally hired to help advise Republican lawmakers on how to draw new district lines.
The maps are used to set boundaries for congressional seats and statewide legislative races.
The case is currently under review by the North Carolina Supreme Court after the U.S. Supreme Court tossed the maps earlier this year.
At issue is whether the maps' architects packed too many black voters in too few districts. If the court decides race was the main factor in drawing the lines, they'll likely have to be redrawn.
Attorneys for the state have argued that the maps are both legal and fair.