Supreme Court on redistricting

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The Supreme Court recently ruled that federal courts could not order states to gerrymander districts to create majority minority districts. In the case of Louisiana v. Callais the Supreme Court said that a state could not be ordered to gerrymander districts in order to create more minority representation districts. To do so would violate the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. Some courts and people felt that discrimination was okay if it was against White voters. 

So in Callais, Louisiana was allowed to redraw their districts. 

Up pops Alabama. In a challenge to the Voting Rights Act, a special master was appointed to redraw the Alabama districts about 3 years ago which had been set by the state legislature. The federal special master disregarded the legislature and drew the state districts by gerrymandering in order to force more minority representation. 

After the decision by the Supreme Court in Callais to not have federal courts decide state districts, another challenge was made in Alabama to enforce the federal approved districts, again ignoring those enacted into law by the legislature and the decision in Callais. The federal court in the Northern District of Alabama stepped up and again interfered with the Alabama legislature map. It was like Callais never happened.

So naturally, there was an appeal to United States Supreme Court. They ruled yesterday that the federal court in Alabama needs to get back its lane and butt out. Alabama’s district map will remain as the legislature drew it and not a federal court approved master.