### Supreme Court to Review Louisiana's Contested Congressional Redistricting Map

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on a controversial Louisiana congressional redistricting map that established two majority-Black districts instead of one. This review will occur early next year and will not influence the current elections. However, the case could become pivotal in how the court interprets the Voting Rights Act, a significant Civil Rights-Era statute aimed at preventing racial discrimination in voting.

This legal battle began when a previous Republican-drawn map, based on the 2020 census, was challenged for purportedly diluting Black voter strength. At that time, only one of Louisiana's six districts had a Black majority, despite Black residents comprising around a third of the state's population. The resulting map positioned five Republicans and a single Democrat in the state's House delegation after the 2022 elections. The lone Democratic representative hailed from the sole majority-Black district.

Following a 2022 lower court verdict that the original map violated the Voting Rights Act, the Louisiana legislature devised a new map featuring two majority-Black districts. This change forecasted a likely Democratic gain in the incoming election cycle. Yet, the new map also faced legal scrutiny. Earlier this year, it was found potentially unconstitutional by another lower court for racial gerrymandering. The state, supported by civil rights groups, appealed to the Supreme Court, seeking to implement the map.

Under Chief Justice John Roberts, the Supreme Court has generally curtailed the enforcement of the Voting Rights Act, with some exceptions. A significant instance occurred last year when the court surprisingly sided with Black voters in an Alabama case entitled Allen v. Milligan, ultimately allowing the contested Louisiana map to be used for upcoming elections. The adjusted map modified the 6th Congressional District, represented by Republican Garrett Graves, stretching it from northwest Louisiana to East Baton Rouge. This move drew criticism from House Speaker Mike Johnson, who worried about the GOP losing a crucial seat and thereby weakening its narrow majority in the House.

In May, the Supreme Court approved the continuation of the 2024 elections under the new map. Notably, the court's three Democratic appointees dissented, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson arguing that the Supreme Court's involvement was premature. The conservative majority of the court indicated that halting the new map could unnecessarily disrupt the impending 2024 elections.