"The last remaining piece of the 1965 Voting Rights Act section 2, which empowers the federal government to protect voters from racial gerrymandering meant to dilute Black political power appears headed for an untimely end. At oral arguments in Louisiana v Callais on Wednesday, the US supreme court appeared ready to strike down section 2, effectively completing the gradual nullification of the Voting Rights Act that it has pursued for over a decade."
"The state initially drew maps that featured only one majority-Black congressional district, rejecting seven more racially fair maps; voters sued, and federal courts ordered Louisiana to comply with the Voting Rights Act by drawing new maps in which Black voters would be a majority in a second district, thereby reflecting their share of the population and giving Black Louisianans an equal opportunity to elect representatives of their choice."
Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act empowers the federal government to prevent racial gerrymandering intended to dilute Black political power. In Louisiana v Callais, the Supreme Court signaled readiness to strike down Section 2, risking the loss of the Act's remaining enforcement power. After the 2020 census found Louisiana eligible for six House seats and approximately one-third Black population, the state initially drew only one majority-Black district and rejected seven fairer maps. Federal courts ordered a second majority-Black district. Non-African-American plaintiffs now claim those remedial maps violate their 14th and 15th Amendment rights, arguing remedial maps discriminate against non-Black voters. A decision siding with them would further erode Voting Rights Act protections.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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