The clock continues to run on a federal judge’s order that Alabama’s most populous county create new commission district lines before the next election.

U.S. District Judge Madeline Haikala has denied Jefferson County’s request to “stay” or pause her order for new maps while the county appeals her decision.

Haikala Sept. 16 ruled that county leaders failed to prove that race was not a major factor in creating its county commission district lines, which is a constitutional violation. She ordered leaders to draw new maps for the five commission districts.

Haikala during a conference call Wednesday and in a written argument Thursday rejected the county’s request to halt enforcing her ruling.

Haikala said the county restated the same arguments that lawyers already presented in the initial

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