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The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a ruling that critics say weakens the Voting Rights Act. The case arose from a Louisiana congressional map that added a second majority-Black district after the 2020 census. The state’s redrawing produced, by the challengers’ account, five majority-white districts and one majority-Black district despite Louisiana’s nearly one‑third Black population; the state adopted a second majority-Black district to comply with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The court concluded the map amounted to an unconstitutional racial gerrymander because race was a “predominant factor” in drawing the lines.
What the court said
– The majority found that when Louisiana drew a second majority-Black district it relied too heavily on race. Under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, the justices said, race cannot be given predominant weight in drawing district lines. Because the court concluded race predominated, it labeled the map an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.
– The decision narrows how Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act will be applied in line-drawing cases. The majority required that race not be the predominant factor in drawing a remedial district even when the goal is to avoid diluting minority voting power.
Political vs. racial gerrymandering
– Legal commentators explained the distinction: political gerrymandering is drawing lines to preserve or shift partisan power; the Court has been resistant to policing partisan gerrymanders and has treated them as a political question. Racial gerrymandering involves drawing lines with intent or effect of diluting voting power based on race and historically was treated differently under the law.
– In this ruling, the Court treated Louisiana’s effort to comply with Section 2 (to create a second majority-Black district) as taking race into account to a degree the majority found unconstitutional.
Votes and timing
– The outcome was described in coverage and expert commentary as a 6–3 decision by the justices. (Coverage noted some inconsistent phrasing in early reporting; the substance is that the Court’s majority concluded the map was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.)
– Because the ruling affects how Section 2 claims will be analyzed, experts said it may reduce the ability of minority voters to obtain remedial majority-minority districts.
What experts and participants said
– Jessica Levinson, CBS News legal contributor and Loyola Law professor, explained that the Court has been consistently limiting the use of race in a range of contexts — from affirmative action to districting — and that the justices concluded Louisiana considered race too much when creating the second majority-Black district. She noted the Court changed the question in the case during reargument, signaling how it might rule.
– David Becker, CBS News election law expert, warned the decision will have long-term consequences for minority representation. He said the immediate 2026 effect might be limited because primary maps and ballots are already set in many states, but he predicted pressure on legislatures to redraw maps quickly. Becker said the ruling makes it “virtually impossible” to prove many racial-discrimination claims under the Voting Rights Act and risks diluting minority voting power.
– In dissent, justices argued the majority misread Section 2 by making it harder to bring claims that examine the effects of a map as well as intent — a reading that critics say will make it harder to show racial vote dilution.
Louisiana’s and lawmakers’ reactions
– Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said the ruling “harmonizes the statute with the Constitution,” repeating the state’s argument that it could not draw a second majority-minority map “without race predominating.”
– Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.), representing Louisiana’s 2nd District, called the decision “a devastating blow” to democracy and warned it could leave Louisiana — roughly 33% Black — with only one congressional representative elected by Black voters. He said the ruling is “bigger than the district,” affecting school boards, state legislatures and city councils — in short, all district-based representation — and “tips the scales” in favor of protecting partisan gerrymandering while making racial-discrimination defenses much harder.
Legal and practical impacts
– The ruling changes how courts will examine remedial maps drawn to comply with Section 2, focusing on whether race was a predominant factor. That approach may limit plaintiffs’ ability to rely on the “effects” part of Section 2 and heighten burdens to show racially discriminatory intent.
– Practically, the decision may prompt some state lawmakers to redraw maps quickly; experts warned that rushing redistricting could cause confusion in the 2026 primary season because some states have early primaries and already printed ballots.
– Observers noted the ruling’s reach extends beyond congressional maps to local and state districts, potentially affecting minority representation in a wide range of elected bodies.
What happens next
– The decision will likely prompt litigation and new challenges under revised legal standards. Civil-rights advocates, legislative drafters and election officials will assess how the ruling affects pending and future redistricting plans.
– Some states’ primaries and election administration may face complications if lawmakers attempt rapid redistricting to comply with court rulings or to respond to the decision.
Bottom line
The Supreme Court’s ruling in the Louisiana map case narrows the permissible role of race in remedial redistricting and raises the bar for Section 2 claims under the Voting Rights Act. Supporters say it aligns the statute with constitutional limits on race-conscious decisions; critics say it undercuts tools to remedy racial vote dilution and will reduce minority voters’ ability to secure representation. Lawmakers, advocates and courts will grapple with its practical consequences in upcoming redistricting cycles.