Supreme Court Seeks Briefs in Louisiana Redistricting Voting Rights Case

The U.S. Supreme Court is actively engaging in a significant redistricting case involving Louisiana's congressional map, which was redrawn in 2024 to include a second majority-Black district in response to a federal court ruling that the previous 2022 map likely violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The Court has requested new briefs from both sides to address whether the intentional creation of this second majority-minority district violates the Fourteenth or Fifteenth Amendments, signaling a possible reevaluation of key Voting Rights Act provisions. This case raises fundamental questions about the constitutionality of race-based districting and could potentially limit states' abilities to remedy voting rights violations by creating majority-minority districts. The Supreme Court previously heard oral arguments but delayed a decision, instead opting for further briefing and re-argument in the upcoming term. The decision could have broad implications for the balance between preventing racial vote dilution and avoiding unconstitutional racial gerrymandering. Justice Clarence Thomas has expressed strong opposition to the current interpretation of Section 2, suggesting it conflicts with the Constitution.