politics
Supreme Court Rules Against Racial Gerrymandering in Redistricting Case
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6-3 ruling declaring unconstitutional the use of race-based considerations in Louisiana's congressional maps under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The decision follows other recent court rejections of Democratic efforts to redraw maps in Virginia and Wisconsin.
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The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on Wednesday that Louisiana's creation of a second majority-Black congressional district constituted an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The majority opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, stated that compliance with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act does not justify race-based redistricting.
The court affirmed a lower court's finding that the map violated the Constitution by engaging in race-based discrimination. This ruling came after a lower court determined Louisiana's lack of two majority-Black districts likely violated the Voting Rights Act.
The state redrew its maps to include the additional district, but the Supreme Court rejected this approach. The opinion emphasized that the Constitution rarely permits racial discrimination and that such actions trigger strict scrutiny.
Tuesday, a three-judge panel in Wisconsin dismissed a lawsuit seeking to redraw congressional maps to favor Democrats. The panel rejected arguments that the existing maps, drawn by a commission, were uncompetitive. Attorneys for the defense noted that no prior cases supported claims of anti-competitive gerrymandering, and uncompetitive districts exist in various areas, including urban centers.
Also on Tuesday, the Virginia Supreme Court denied a motion by the state's attorney general to appeal a circuit court ruling. The lower court had declared unconstitutional a recent referendum that approved changes to the state's constitution, aiming to remove map-drawing authority from an independent commission.
Voters had narrowly passed the ballot question, which sought to enable redistricting that could give Democrats a 10-1 advantage in congressional seats. On Monday, the Virginia Supreme Court heard arguments on Democrats' proposed congressional maps, with justices posing skeptical questions about the redistricting plan.
