Black lawmakers decry supreme court voting decision: ‘We’re going backwards’
Summary
The Supreme Court has weakened a key part of the Voting Rights Act, which protected voting power for racial minorities. This decision puts Black congressional districts in Alabama at risk and may lead to changes in voting maps that reduce the influence of Black voters.Key Facts
- The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Louisiana v. Callais, weakening section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
- This section previously required states to create majority-minority districts to prevent racial discrimination in elections.
- Alabama’s two Black congressional representatives, Terri Sewell and Shomari Figures, are at risk of losing their seats due to possible redistricting.
- Sewell has represented Alabama’s 7th district since 2011, a district shaped by the Voting Rights Act to give Black voters a voice.
- Figures won a newly created 2nd district after a 2023 ruling found Alabama’s prior maps diluted Black voting power.
- The ruling may lead Alabama Republican lawmakers to redraw district maps, likely after the 2026 elections.
- Justice Samuel Alito wrote the majority opinion, while Justices Kagan, Sotomayor, and Brown Jackson dissented, disagreeing with weakening the law.
- The decision reduces protections against racial discrimination in how voting districts are created.
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