Supreme Court Guts Voting Rights Act, Redraws Louisiana Map

0:00On April 29, the Supreme Court just dropped a 6-3 ruling telling Louisiana to redraw its congressional map, basically sidelining a key part of the Voting Rights Act from 1965. This decision hit section 2. Hard, the main tool left to fight racial bias in voting and redistricting for minority groups. Earlier this week, the conservative majority led by Justice Alito said using race at all in drawing districts breaks constitutional rules, calling. Louisiana's new map, an unlawful racial gerrymander. They argued it sorted voters by skin color instead of fair lines. Meanwhile, Justice Kagan's dissent called it a straight up demolition of the Voting Rights Act, warning it guts protections for Black voters built. Over decades, Black voters had pushed for a second majority, Black district to boost representation. The fight started years back when a federal judge blocked the old map in order to redo. Louisiana drew a snaking district from Shreveport to Van Rouge to protect some GOP seats.

1:02But non-Black voters sued, and a panel agreed it was too. Race focused. That map still ran in last fall's 2024 elections, where Democrat Cleo Fields snagged the win. Now Louisiana faces another redraw under stricter limits on race. Shifting power and redistricting nationwide, and testing how states balance fair votes. Without crossing equal protection lines.