SCOTUS

The Supreme Court allowed the drawing of a new Alabama congressional map with greater representation for Black voters to proceed, rejecting the state's plea to retain Republican-drawn lines that were struck down by a lower court.

A court-appointed special master submitted three proposals for new congressional districts in Alabama as federal judges oversee the drawing of new lines to provide greater representation for Black voters. The results reflected the views of political observers APR listeners heard from yesterday.

The Supreme Court's decision siding with Black voters in an Alabama redistricting case gave Democrats and voting rights activist a surprising opportunity before the 2024 elections to have congressional maps redrawn in a handful of states. It's been more than three months since the justice's 5-4 ruling, and political maps in Alabama, Louisiana and elsewhere that could produce more U.S. House districts represented by Black lawmakers still don't exist.

Federal judges reviewing Alabama's new congressional map sharply questioned if state lawmakers ignored the court's directive to create a second-majority Black district, so minority voters have a fair opportunity to influence elections.

All sides are scheduled to meet today before a three-judge federal panel over Alabama’s new Congressional voting map. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the state’s first try at redrawing the district lines likely violated the Voting Rights Act.

Abortion is almost entirely illegal in Alabama, and abortion rights advocates are working to make sure those who help patients lawfully obtain the procedure out of state don’t face legal repercussions.

Health care providers in Alabama, where abortion is almost entirely illegal, filed a lawsuit against the state's attorney general that seeks to prevent him from prosecuting people who help women travel outside the state to receive an abortion.

Voting rights activists are returning to court to fight Alabama's redrawn congressional districts, saying state Republicans failed to follow federal court orders to create a district that is fair to Black voters.

Plaintiffs, led by former Attorney General Eric Holder, opposed to Alabama’s newly redrawn Congressional voting map filed a legal challenge to the new districts. The action comes on the final day of public input before a three judge panel convenes in mid-August to consider the work of Republican lawmakers who declined to create a second black majority district in Alabama.

In its 5-4 Allen v. Milligan decision on June 8, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the state of Alabama to redraw its congressional voting districts and consider race as it made up the new districts. The court had found that the state's political districts diluted the strength of Black voters by denying them the possibility of electing a second Black member to the state's congressional delegation. Alabama lawmakers declined to do so.