Despite a lower court decision labeling the House map an unlawful racial gerrymander, the Supreme Court on Wednesday authorized Louisiana to run congressional elections in 2024 under a plan that includes a second district that is mostly Black.
In two of the state's six congressional districts, there are majority Black populations. This ruling permits the implementation of a plan that might help Democrats win control of the sharply split House of Representatives in the 2024 elections.
The state's leading Republican lawmakers and Black voters filed emergency petitions with the justices, arguing that they required the high court's involvement to prevent confusion as the elections drew near. The justices then took action on these requests. Black people make up around a third of Louisiana.
The Supreme Court's decision leaves open a lower court decision that said the map placed an undue emphasis on race. Rather, it just keeps another fresh map out of the way for this year's elections.
At a later time, the Supreme Court may decide to hear arguments about the ruling that invalidated the Louisiana map.
The three liberal judges on the court disagreed with Wednesday's ruling. Before the high court got involved, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson argued that the judges who invalidated the most recent map ought to have had an opportunity to create a new one.
In two of the state's six congressional districts, there are majority Black populations. This ruling permits the implementation of a plan that might help Democrats win control of the sharply split House of Representatives in the 2024 elections.
The state's leading Republican lawmakers and Black voters filed emergency petitions with the justices, arguing that they required the high court's involvement to prevent confusion as the elections drew near. The justices then took action on these requests. Black people make up around a third of Louisiana.
The Supreme Court's decision leaves open a lower court decision that said the map placed an undue emphasis on race. Rather, it just keeps another fresh map out of the way for this year's elections.
At a later time, the Supreme Court may decide to hear arguments about the ruling that invalidated the Louisiana map.
The three liberal judges on the court disagreed with Wednesday's ruling. Before the high court got involved, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson argued that the judges who invalidated the most recent map ought to have had an opportunity to create a new one.
