Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) has appointed members to the Permanent Legislative Committee on Reapportionment as the state prepares for a July special session to redraw congressional maps.
The Legislative Reapportionment Office serves as the link between the United States Census Bureau and the Alabama Legislature. The office is staffed by employees of the House and Senate.
In years in which the legislature is not involved in the redistricting process, the committee is composed of six members: three members from the House and three from the Senate.
In each quadrennium in which the legislature is involved in the redistricting process, the committee consists of 22 members, including one member from each district from both the House and Senate.
Ledbetter assigned the following House members to serve on the committee:
Cynthia Almond (R-Tuscaloosa)
Barbara Boyd (D-Anniston)
Jim Carns (R-Birmingham)
Steve Clouse (R-Ozark)
Corley Ellis (R-Columbiana)
Chris England (D-Tuscaloosa)
Laura Hall (D-Huntsville)
Sam Jones (D-Mobile)
Joe Lovvorn (R-Auburn)
Chris Pringle (R-Mobile)
Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville)
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) upheld with a 5-4 vote a lower court's decision to require the Alabama Legislature to redraw the congressional districts to include a second largely or majority-black congressional district. The lower court asserted that Alabama's current congressional districts might violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965 since the 2020 census showed a slight decrease in the white population while the black population grew by over 3%.
Alabama currently has one majority-black congressional district held by U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham).
The SCOTUS majority wrote that the concern that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act "may impermissibly elevate race in the allocation of political power within the States is, of course, not new."
In a dissenting opinion, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said the decision was inconsistent with "our precedents on racial predominance, and the fundamental principle that States are almost always prohibited from basing decisions on race."
Gov. Kay Ivey has yet to call for a special session. However, multiple reports point to the session convening in mid to late July.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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