Supreme Court halts Alabama order for 2 largely Black US House districts
AP News • • nation
Key Points:
- The U.S. Supreme Court allowed Alabama to eliminate one of its two majority-Black congressional districts, potentially giving Republicans an additional House seat ahead of the midterm elections.
- This decision follows a prior Supreme Court ruling that struck down a majority-Black district in Louisiana as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, weakening protections under the Voting Rights Act.
- Alabama officials plan to replace the court-imposed map with a Republican-backed map featuring only one majority-Black district and have authorized new primaries in affected districts if the map changes.
- The ruling drew criticism from civil rights groups, with NAACP President Derrick Johnson warning of a regression to Jim Crow-era practices and urging voter mobilization.
- The decision is part of a broader national redistricting battle, with Republicans aiming to gain up to 14 additional House seats through new district maps before the November elections.