SCOTUS rules redistricting map in Louisiana as unconstitutional

WASHINGTON (NBC, KYMA) - The U.S. Supreme Court further weakened the Voting Rights Act, ruing Wednesday that a congressional map in Louisiana was a racial gerrymander, even though it was drawn to comply with the landmark law aimed at protecting minority voters.

The justices, split 6-3 with the court's conservatives in the majority, told states they can almost never consider race when drawing maps to comply with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which was enacted to protect minority voters who long faced discrimination in elections.

Conservative Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority, said while there may be extreme situations where the use of race can be justified to draw a map, it was not in the Louisiana case.

As a result, the new map was an "unconstitutional racial gerrymander," he added.

The three liberal justices dissented, with Justice Elena Kagan writing the "consequences are likely to be far-reaching and grave."

The ruling sets new guidelines for how courts will analyze future cases in which states draw new maps, putting new limits on how much race can be considered.

The decision means Louisiana will need to redraw its map, but it may not prompt other republican-led states to follow suit, as a broader ruling on the voting rights act might have.

In response to the ruling, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) shared his thoughts saying:

"They've determined that the last map that was drawn for Louisiana was done unconstitutionally, and we've been saying that consistently from the beginning. That was the obvious result. So we'll see what effect it has. We have, as you know, a primary coming up in about two weeks, so we'll see if the state legislature deems it appropriate to go in and draw new maps. That's not really something I have as much say over."

When asked if he has the votes to pass the rule, Speaker Johnson said, "I believe we do. We're going to work that right now."

Heather Williams, President of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, issued a statement on the ruling saying:

"Today is a devastating day for democracy and a wake-up call for all those who seek to protect it. With key parts of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act weakened, Republicans are now more empowered to drag our democracy backward, silence communities of color, and rig maps to protect their own power. State legislatures play a role in drawing over 300 congressional districts, and we must charge into the 2026 elections clear-eyed about the urgency and stakes of the once-in-a-generation opportunity to build Democratic power in the states. 

This is an all-hands-on-deck moment: Democrats must build more durable state legislative majorities and break out of superminorities so Democratic governors can fight against GOP gerrymanders. The DLCC has the national strategy to counter the worst effects of this court ruling from becoming a reality – we don't have a moment to lose."