WASHINGTON (CN) - The Supreme Court further eroded the Voting Rights Act on Wednesday, strictly limiting how racial discrimination can be remedied in redistricting maps.
Louisiana added a second majority-Black district after multiple courts concluded that its congressional maps likely violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits discriminatory vote dilution. But the justices were concerned about how race played into Louisiana's new maps, questioning whether they violated the 14th and 15th Amendments.
Louisiana's first set of new maps only included one majority-Black district despite Black voters making up 30% of the adult population in the state. Civil rights groups sued Louisiana for diluting the votes of Black voters, and after a protracted legal battle and federal court ruling, the state Legislature drew new maps in 2024 with a second majority-Black district.
Litigation continued, however, after a group of "non-African American voters" sued the state - so far unsuccessfully - claiming the new maps are unconstitutional because they considered race.
Early last year, the Supreme Court heard arguments over whether the Legislature relied too heavily on race when redrawing Louisiana's maps. Instead of issuing a decision in June, the justices delayed a decision and scheduled an additional argument this term.
Scheduling reargument is rare - putting Louisiana's case in the same bucket as blockbusters like Brown v. Board, Roe v. Wade and Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.
The high court raised the stakes of Louisiana's already consequential case, asking whether the intentional creation of a second majority-Black congressional district - as courts ruled was required by the Voting Rights Act - violates the 14th and 15th Amendments.
While Louisiana initially defended its second majority-Black district, the state abandoned that position, stating that there is no safe harbor for racial discrimination.
A group of voters stood by Louisiana's maps, stating that Section 2 is only relevant where racial discrimination is present. The voters said that a limited consideration of race is necessary to remedy that discrimination.
A report from voting advocacy groups found that a ruling in favor of Louisiana could secure an additional 19 safe seats for Republicans in the House of Representatives and cement GOP control for at least a generation.
Source: Courthouse News Service
