Supreme Court Strikes Down Race-Based Districting

_WHAT’S HAPPENING_

The Supreme Court issued a 6-3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais that significantly narrows the scope of the 1965 Voting Rights Act (VRA) in redistricting cases. The justices sided with Louisiana officials who argued that a newly drawn congressional map creating a second majority-black district amounted to unconstitutional racial gerrymandering.

Writing for the majority, Justice Samuel Alito said the VRA does not require states to adopt race-based maps absent strong evidence of past discrimination. The decision is set to create ripple effects throughout the country to the GOP’s benefit — particularly in the South.