Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) speaking before a Senate committee in May 2021. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
The Supreme Court on Tuesday reinstated a Republican-drawn congressional map of Louisiana that had been blocked by a judge who found that it violated the Voting Rights Act.
Why it matters: The lower court ruled earlier in June that Louisiana lawmakers had to create a second majority-Black district in the state for its proposed map to comply with the Voting Rights Act.
- That ruling came after Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) vetoed the proposed map because it did not include a majority-Black district, though the legislature ultimately voted to override Edwards' veto.
- The three liberal justices, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, dissented.
The big picture: The Supreme Court stayed the lower court's ruling pending a decision on a similar case in Alabama that will be considered when its new term starts in October.
- In both cases, a lower court ordered the state legislature to redraw maps because there were not enough heavily Black districts to comply with the Voting Rights Act.
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