The U.S. Supreme Court is gearing up for a fresh volley in Louisiana’s redistricting saga, with oral arguments slated for March 24 in the paired cases of Louisiana v. Callais and Robinson v. Callais. A loss for the state could lob the issue back to its Legislature, restarting the contentious map-drawing game.
The disputed map, sketched in early 2024, aimed to balance Black voter representation with a second majority-Black district—a compromise now under fire as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, echoing challenges to its predecessor that lacked such a district.
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Contrast that with the Middle District, which has leaned toward a second Black-majority district.
In 2022, it ruled Louisiana could draw two such districts while honoring redistricting norms. When lawmakers balked, the court stepped in, forcing compliance—a move now teetering on the Supreme Court’s scales.
The high court’s past rulings offer clues: race can factor into maps if it doesn’t overshadow traditional principles.
The 2022 Allen v. Milligan decision upheld Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, greenlighting race-conscious districts to thwart vote dilution.
Yet Louisiana insists politics, not race, steered its hand. Its GOP-led Legislature weighed seven Voting Rights Act-compliant options, landing on one that safeguarded Rep. Julia Letlow and Speaker Mike Johnson’s seats. Ex-Rep. Garrett Graves, a Republican, bowed out after his district flipped majority-Black.
A Supreme Court ruling could slam the lid on this back-and-forth—or bounce it back to Baton Rouge for another redraw. With stakes high and irony thick, Louisiana’s map hangs in limbo, awaiting a final call.
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