Judgment in ACLU Case Expected This Week

A federal judge is expected to rule Friday in the voting rights case in Yakima.

City Manager Tony O'Rourke says the city has submitted a plan to change the way City Council members are elected to give a greater voice to Latinos in the community. But that plan was rejected earlier this year by the American Civil Liberties Union.

The ACLU sued the city, then submitted a plan to change the local voting system in 2015, and the judge on Friday is expected to rule on which plan should be put in place. O'Rourke says that is when the city's 30-day window to appeal the decision opens. The City Council will then decide on whether it wants to honor the ruling or file an appeal.