theguardian.com
Supreme Court to Review Louisiana Redistricting Map
The Supreme Court will hear a case challenging Louisiana's congressional map, which includes two majority-Black districts. The lower court's decision was temporarily stayed.
English
United Kingdom
PoliticsUs PoliticsElectionsLawsuitCourtRace
Us Supreme CourtNaacp Legal Defense And Education FundUs House Of RepresentativesFifth Us Circuit Court Of Appeals
Jeff LandryKetanji Brown JacksonMike JohnsonSteve ScaliseGarret Graves
- What is the main legal issue?
- The central issue is whether Louisiana relied too heavily on race when creating the second majority-Black district, violating the Constitution. The state's Republican-led legislature drew the map in 2022 after the 2020 census.
- Who challenged the map, and why?
- Civil rights groups initially challenged the map, arguing it discriminated against Black voters. Following the Supreme Court's decision on a similar Alabama case, Louisiana created a new map with another majority-Black district, but this too faced legal challenges.
- What is the Supreme Court case about?
- The Supreme Court will review Louisiana's congressional map, which has two majority-Black districts. A lower court deemed the map discriminatory, but the Supreme Court allowed its use in the 2024 elections.
- What were the political considerations in the map-drawing process?
- The state's Republican governor, Jeff Landry, initially defended the map but later urged lawmakers to create a new one with an additional majority-Black district. A group of non-African Americans also challenged the new map, arguing it was excessively race-based.
- What was unusual about the Supreme Court's decision on temporary use of the map?
- The Supreme Court's decision to temporarily allow the challenged map to be used in 2024 elections was unusual, with the three liberal justices dissenting. They argued a new map could be created before the election.