(RALEIGH) -- Redistricting plans crafted by the Republican-led General Assembly will soon face scrutiny in court despite the fact that federal officials have said they will not oppose the maps on certain racial discrimination grounds. Anita Earls with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice said there are two main concerns.

"The way in which the plans pack black voters in a few districts and weaken their influence in other districts is an excessive use of race beyond what the Voting Right's Act requires and then the second main problem is the way in which the maps divide communities of interest," said Earls.

Senate Redistricting Committee chairman Bob Rucho said the fact that the Department of Justice precleared the maps affirms lawmakers did the right thing. "We didn't expect an objective review by the Holder Justice Department," said Rucho.  "We were concerned about that and we went second route viewing the DC court challenge.  I think what it forced the Justice Department to do is basically follow the law, which is all we ever intended to do."

Democratic Sen. Josh Stein said the Department of Justice preclearing the maps does not weaken arguments against them. "There are any of a number of ways in which the Republican drawn maps overreach to a point where frankly I think they violate the law," said Stein.

A coalition including the NAACP plans to final a lawsuit on Friday.