The Supreme Court is hearing a case involving a Louisiana congressional map that includes two majority Black districts for the first time in decades. The original map drawn by the Legislature included only one Black majority district, leading to lawsuits from civil rights groups and non-African American voters. The court blocked a ruling striking down the new map, allowing it to be used in the 2020 election.
The case raises questions about the balance between the Voting Rights Act, which requires consideration of race in drawing districts, and the 14th Amendment, which prohibits racial discrimination. State officials are defending the map, arguing that lawsuits challenging it are too political and costly. Challengers argue that the new map is a racial gerrymander that violates the 14th Amendment.
Civil rights groups have urged the court to uphold the new map, pointing out that it was drawn with partisan political considerations to protect incumbent Republicans. The court, with a conservative majority, has previously emphasized a “colorblind” approach to the Constitution but recently reaffirmed the Voting Rights Act in a similar redistricting case from Alabama.
The case raises complex legal questions about the intersection of race and redistricting, and the Supreme Court’s decision could have significant implications for future redistricting efforts across the country.
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