In a 6-3 landmark decision issued this morning, the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the most important pillar of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), making it harder to challenge racially discriminatory maps. Today’s decision will threaten Black and brown political representation for generations in Southern states.
Today’s ruling could also help secure 27 more red seats in Congress, cement GOP House control for at least a generation and rewrite redistricting rules for state legislatures, city councils and school boards. Without racial protections, maps could be redrawn with almost no limits.
The case will return to lower courts for more proceedings, and around 20 lawsuits on hold pending a decision in Callais will likely move forward.
Florida — the only state still redrawing maps in the ongoing redistricting war — could use the ruling to draw an even more pro-GOP map.
The court first heard the case last March when it questioned whether Louisiana violated the constitution by drawing a map to comply with the VRA. But it scheduled a rare rehearing in October on the question of whether Section 2 of the VRA violates the 14th or 15th Amendment.
This is a developing story. Democracy Docket has been following this case from the start and will keep you updated on its nationwide impacts during this critical election year.
.png?upscale=true&height=50&upscale=true&name=Bluesky_Logo-grey%20(2).png){kind=logo}
