By Leah Cruz
Staff Writer
Alabama legislatures are appealing to the Supreme Court following an order from federal judges to redraw the state’s congressional district map. The panel of judges decided Sept. 5 to appoint an independent special master to propose a new congressional layout for the state. The previous map, according to NPR, was found to be in violation of the Voting Rights Act that prohibits racial discrimination in voting.
While there are seven congressional districts in the state of Alabama and an African-American population of 27 percent, there is only one majority-black voting district, according to PBS. The court orders required that Alabama legislatures add a second majority-Black district in order to give African-Americans an equal say in the political decisions of the state.
In a state like Alabama, where voting is heavily racially polarized, most majority-Black districts elect Democrats and most majority-white districts elect Republicans, according to NPR.
“The law requires the creation of an additional district that affords Black Alabamians, like everyone else, a fair and reasonable opportunity to elect candidates of their choice,” the U.S. federal judge panel explained. “The 2023 plan plainly fails to do so.”
Despite the Supreme Court ruling in June, Alabama lawmakers failed to create a second majority-Black district and instead increased the percentage of Black voters in one of the six majority-white districts from 30 percent to 40 percent, according to the New York Times.
The Republican-led legislature argued that the new congressional map complied with the Voting Rights Act after being questioned by judges about the state’s refusal in a hearing last month, according to AP News. Since then, Alabama has asked that the Supreme Court hold off on the order of a new map while the state appeals the ruling.
“While we are disappointed in today’s decision, we strongly believe that the Legislature’s map complies with the Voting Rights Act and the recent decision of the U.S. Supreme Court,” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office stated.
The panel of judges have appointed Alabama attorney Richard Allen and California based cartographer David Ely to propose three new congressional district maps by Sept. 25.
Re-configuring the congressional lines in Alabama to include a second majority-Black district would provide Black voters the appropriate representation in Congress and a protection of their civil rights.
“What happened in Alabama this summer underscores the necessity for the judiciary to continue to be unwavering in its obligations to enforce the critical protections of the Voting Rights Act in order for justice to ultimately prevail,” explained Eric Holder, current chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee and former U.S. Attorney General.
Alabama is not the only state facing congressional redistricting cases. According to AP, similar cases of Black voter dilution due to district lines are playing out in Georgia as well as in South Carolina.
