Lawyers for voters called Alabama’s plan, which maintains one majority-Black congressional district, discriminatory

Alabama Republicans on Monday defended their decision not to create a second majority-Black district in a hearing before a panel of federal judges over the state’s redrawn congressional maps.

State Republicans continue to resist court orders, including from the supreme court in June, to amend the congressional maps to give Black voters increased political power and representation.

Lawyers for voters called Alabama’s plan, which maintains one majority-Black district, discriminatory. Abha Khanna, an attorney representing one group of plaintiffs in the case, said Alabama chose “defiance over compliance”.

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In response to the ruling, Alabama Republicans boosted the percentage of Black voters in the majority-white second congressional district, now represented by Republican representative Barry Moore, from about 30% to 39.9%, failing to give Black voters a majority which would allow them to elect their candidate of choice.

A lawyer for the state accused plaintiffs of seeking a “racial gerrymander” over traditional guidelines for drawing districts, such as keeping districts compact and keeping communities of interest together.

  • Alien Nathan Edward
    28•1 year ago

    we’re about to see what happens if you tell the supreme court to get fucked. I assumed the next constitutional crisis was gonna be either marijuana laws or when some state decides to just not bother with elections, but this could be a fun one too

    • @kbotcEnglish
      8•1 year ago

      Nah, this just goes to a lower court who hands it off to a special master who then redraws the lines with zero input from their legislature: It’s if they try and ignore that is where we get into the fun “federal executive flexes it’s genitals at a state” and runs the election. Probably a long con, but the Republicans are going to lose at least one seat, and the special master may find a way to make them lose two.