Supreme Court voids majority Black congressional district in Louisiana

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down Louisiana’s second majority Black congressional district in a decision that could open the door for Republican-led states to eliminate Black and Latino electoral districts that tend to favor Democrats and affect the balance of power in Congress.

In a 6-3 ruling, the court’s conservative majority found that the district, represented by Democrat Cleo Fields, relied too heavily on race. Chief Justice John Roberts had described the district as a “snake” that stretches more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) to link parts of the Shreveport, Alexandria, Lafayette and Baton Rouge areas.

“That map is an unconstitutional gerrymander,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the six conservatives.

The decision, however, does not require a new map to be immediately drawn and adopted. The case is now heading back to the Western District of Louisiana, where the authority to redraw maps lies.

"While the Western District has the authority to act, redrawing maps at this stage would not be prudent," Fields said. "Through qualifying, the voters of Louisiana have already made their decisions as it pertains to November’s ballot, and any changes to the map’s configuration would invalidate their choices."

THE WHOLE DECISION CAN BE READ HERE.

The decision weakens a landmark voting rights law’s protections against discrimination in redistricting. It’s unclear how much is left of the provision, known as Section 2, the main way to challenge racially discriminatory election practices.

Not much, Justice Elena Kagan wrote in a dissent for the three liberal justices.

“The consequences are likely to be far-reaching and grave. Today’s decision renders Section 2 all but a dead letter,” Kagan wrote.

Fields agreed, calling the ruling in Louisiana v. Callais "a grave setback to voting rights and to the promise of equal political representation for all Americans."

"The right of every citizen to participate equally in our democracy is not a partisan issue. It is an American one," Fields said. "I will be working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to evaluate all available legislative responses to this ruling and to restore the full protections that Section 2 was always meant to provide."

The 1965 Voting Rights Act, the centerpiece legislation of the Civil Rights Movement, succeeded in opening the ballot box to Black Americans and reducing persistent discrimination in voting.

"The Voting Rights Act was born from the blood of the civil rights movement and the sacrifices of generations who fought for the ballot. I have deep respect for the role of the judiciary, but today’s decision underscores the limits Congress faces when the Court reinterprets the scope of its authority under the Fifteenth Amendment," Rep. Fields wrote in a statement shortly after the decision.

In 1982, Congress upheld the way the Voting Rights Act had been interpreted, with Fields saying that "lawmakers understood that requiring proof of discriminatory purpose would make the law all but unenforceable."

This decision challenges this precedent.

Nearly 70 of the 435 congressional districts are protected by Section 2, election law expert Nicholas Stephanopoulos has estimated.

Alito wrote that "allowing race to play any part in government decisionmaking represents a departure from the constitutional rule that applies in almost every other context.” He said Section 2 is effectively limited to instances of intentional discrimination, a very high standard.

Kagan said the upshot of the decision is that states "can, without legal consequence, systematically dilute minority citizens’ voting power.”

The court heard the case for a second time in October and it’s not clear whether the decision was issued early enough for some states, including Louisiana, to consider a new round of redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, in which Republicans are trying to preserve a thin majority.

President Donald Trump had already touched off a nationwide redistricting battle to boost Republican chances.

“This is a complete and total victory for American voters. The color of one’s skin should not dictate which congressional district you belong in. We commend the court for putting an end to the unconstitutional abuse of the Voting Rights Act and protecting civil rights," White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement after the decision.

Legislatures already are free to draw extremely partisan districts because of a 2019 Supreme Court decision.

The court’s decision was released as Florida legislators debated a proposed redrawing of the state’s congressional lines, submitted by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and intended to give the GOP a chance to pick up as many as four seats in the state’s U.S. House delegation.

Democrats in the Florida Senate urged the Republican supermajority to delay debate to at least offer lawmakers a chance to read the decision and consult lawyers on how it might affect DeSantis’ proposal. Republicans refused.

In the Supreme Court's Louisiana ruling, the justices did an about-face from a decision in a similar case from Alabama less than three years ago that led to a new congressional map for the state that sent two Black Democrats to Congress.

Fields said that decisions like the one in the Louisiana and Alabama cases represent a "persistent reality that minority candidates are rarely, if ever, elected from districts where they are not the majority, underscoring why fair districting remains essential to ensuring equal representation."

Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the three liberals to form a majority in the Alabama case. Both joined Alito's opinion on Wednesday.

The Alabama decision also prompted Louisiana lawmakers to add a second majority Black district. About a third of Louisianans are Black and they now form majorities in two of the state’s six congressional districts. Alabama has a separate appeal pending at the Supreme Court.

The case is now heading back to the Western District of Louisiana, where the authority to redraw maps lies.