US Supreme Court to Review Key Voting Rights Act Provision in Louisiana Case

 US Supreme Court to Review Key Voting Rights Act Provision in Louisiana Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will review a crucial part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, potentially reshaping how minority representation is protected in congressional redistricting. The case involves a legal challenge to Louisiana's current electoral map, which added a second Black-majority district following a court ruling that the state’s previous map likely violated federal voting laws.

The central issue is whether drawing districts based on race intended to remedy racial discrimination violates the Constitution’s equal protection clause. The court’s conservative majority will assess whether race-conscious redistricting is lawful under the 14th Amendment, setting up a major ruling expected by June 2026.

This follows years of tension between the goals of the Voting Rights Act and conservative interpretations of the Constitution that promote race-neutral governance. Legal scholars warn this case could strike down another key part of the Act, similar to the 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder that weakened federal oversight of voting laws.

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The case centers on Louisiana’s congressional map, which expanded from one to two Black-majority districts after a 2022 court ruling found the original plan disenfranchised Black voters. With Black residents making up about one-third of the state’s population, civil rights groups argue the new map corrects long-standing racial imbalances in representation.

However, a group of 12 “non-African American” voters sued to block the redrawn map, claiming it relied too heavily on race and violated the 14th Amendment. A three-judge panel sided with them in a 2-1 ruling in April 2024. Louisiana’s state government contends that the map was also designed to protect Republican incumbents like House Speaker Mike Johnson and Rep. Steve Scalise.

The Supreme Court previously allowed the map to be used in the 2024 elections but will now decide if its use of race was unconstitutional. The outcome could significantly limit how race can be considered in redistricting nationwide.