If a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) sides with Louisiana in a redistricting case on rehearing before the court, Alabama's next congressional map could get a lot redder in the near future.
SCOTUS is scheduled to rehear Louisiana v. Callais on Wednesday. The case addresses racial considerations in the drawing of congressional redistricting maps in Louisiana and could significantly impact Alabama and other states involved in similar lawsuits.
A report released last week by left-wing groups, Fair Fight Action and Black Voters Matter Fund, said Republicans could pick up the two remaining Democratic House districts in Alabama if SCOTUS rules Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional.
Alabama's Democratic delegation consists of U.S. Reps. Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham) and Shomari Figures (D-Mobile).
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall recently filed an amicus brief in support of Louisiana.
"Louisiana's congressional plan was preliminarily enjoined, so the State enacted a race-based map with a new majority-black district 'stretch[ing] some 250 miles' from Shreveport to Baton Rouge," Marshall said in the brief. "That second attempt was declared unconstitutional and enjoined. Alabama's congressional plan was preliminarily enjoined, too, so the State enacted a new map prioritizing non-racial goals. This second attempt was enjoined for not creating a new majority-black district stretching some 250 miles from Mobile to the Georgia border. The State was even branded intentionally racist for trying to avoid an unconstitutional use of race. It's time that this 'lose-lose situation' ends."
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