The Japan Times - US Supreme Court to hear pivotal minority voting rights case

The case touching on the thorny issues of race and politics is a challenge to a congressional map adopted by the Louisiana state legislature creating a second Black majority district.

The conservative-dominated top court actually heard the case last term, but in an unusual move it decided not to issue a ruling and scheduled it for re-argument during the current session.

African-Americans tend to overwhelmingly vote Democratic and they make up one-third of the population of Louisiana, which has six congressional districts.

Following the 2020 census, Louisiana created a new congressional map that included only one Black majority district instead of the previous two.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and others filed suit claiming the new map diluted Black voting power and violated the Voting Rights Act, which was passed during the civil rights movement in 1965 to remedy historic racial discrimination.

The Louisiana legislature released a new map last year with two Black majority districts that was met with the legal challenge from a group of "non African-American" voters. It has now reached the Supreme Court, where conservatives hold a 6-3 majority.

The opponents of the redrawn map argue that using race to design congressional districts is racial gerrymandering prohibited by the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution.

"The stakes are incredibly high," said ACLU attorney Sophia Lin Lakin. "The outcome will not only determine the next steps for Louisiana's congressional map, but may also shape the future of redistricting cases nationwide."

Republicans currently hold a slim majority in the House and an increase or decrease in the number of Black majority districts could help tip the balance in the November 2026 midterm elections, when all 435 seats in the chamber will be up for grabs.

- 'One-party control' -

According to a report by two voting advocacy groups, Fair Fight Action and Black Voters Matter, a Supreme Court ruling striking down Voting Rights Act protections for minorities could lead to Republicans picking up an additional 19 seats in the House.

"It's enough to cement one-party control of the US House for at least a generation," they said.

The Louisiana voting case is being heard against a backdrop of redistricting moves in both Republican- and Democratic-ruled states.

Republican-led Texas is drawing new congressional district maps that are expected to flip up to five House seats from Democrats to Republicans.

Several mainly Latino or Black districts which Republican Donald Trump lost in the 2024 election in Texas were broken up to dilute support for Democrats.

Democratic leaders in California responded with a redistricting push to offset potential Republican gains in Texas, though it will first be put to a state-wide referendum.

Y.Ishikawa--JT