- Notice News: “Yesterday’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais is the biggest voting rights story in years — and it moved fast. The Court struck down Louisiana’s second majority-Black congressional district (AP Politics), effectively eviscerating Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and making it nearly impossible to challenge racially discriminatory maps (Common Dreams). Justice Kagan’s dissent was scorched earth: “I dissent” from the destruction of racial equality (The New Republic).
- The real-time consequences were immediate. Florida Republicans passed a redrawn gerrymander within one hour of the ruling (The New Republic) — a map that, by the way, still uses the same population data DeSantis claims is flawed, because the actual data was never the point. Black lawmakers were direct: “We’re going backwards” (The Guardian US). Alabama representatives Terri Sewell and Shomari Figures are now at risk of losing their seats entirely…”
- Washington Post – “Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) on Thursday suspended next month’s House primary elections so state lawmakers can pass a new congressional map first, as states face pressure from Republican leaders to redraw districts in time for the midterms. His executive order followed a Supreme Court decision Wednesday that found Louisiana had unlawfully discriminated by race when it created a second majority-Black congressional district under legal pressure. A new Louisiana map would position Republicans to gain one or two seats in the midterms…Under his executive order, the legislature would schedule new House elections after passing a new congressional map; other races on the May 16 ballot would not be affected…”
- The Atlantic Gift Article: “…What we can expect in the aftermath of this ruling is for more Republican-controlled states to implement discriminatory maps and call them partisan so they can pass legal muster. In practical terms, this will likely mean fewer nonwhite representatives in Congress. Diminishing the power of minority voters may also allow the Republican Party to continue on its path from reactionary color-blindness to more overt racism, safe in the assumption that it will not have to answer to constituents who oppose such racism because they are its targets. There is little risk in attacking people who lack the power to remove you from office.”
- New York Times Editorial Board Gift Article: The Justices Acted as Partisans in the Voting Rights Ruling.
- Developer: “Donald Trump said he spoke with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and that Lee promised to work to “correct” the state’s congressional map after the Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Act ruling opened the door to a new redistricting rush across Republican-led states. Tennessee’s current congressional delegation is 8-1 Republican, and the obvious target is the state’s only Democratic-held seat, anchored in Memphis.”
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