– The Washington Times
The Supreme Court ruling that gives states more authority to ditch racially gerrymandered districts has spurred last-minute redistricting pushes in Alabama, Louisiana, New York and Tennessee.
The high court ruling has kicked off a flurry of redistricting in red states seeking to undo racially gerrymandered districts that favor Democrats.
Democrats say they are ready to “respond decisively” to the Supreme Court decision and have called on New York to undergo a last-minute map change that would likely eliminate several GOP seats.
The back-and-forth landed in the Alabama legislature on Monday, where lawmakers initiated a special session to consider last-minute changes to the state’s congressional district lines.
The new map would revert to 2023 lines drawn by GOP lawmakers and would reshape a district represented by Rep. Shomari Figures, a Black Democrat. Republicans also want to eliminate another Democrat-leaning district represented by Rep. Terri Sewell, who is also Black.
The Tennessee legislature is slated to convene beginning Tuesday to consider redrawn congressional district lines that would eliminate the state’s only remaining Democrat-leaning district.
“We owe it to Tennesseans to ensure our congressional districts accurately reflect the will of Tennessee voters,” said Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican.
The Supreme Court’s April 29 decision struck down a racially gerrymandered congressional district in Louisiana by ruling the Voting Rights Act can’t be used to force states to add more minority districts to their maps unless there is clear evidence of racial discrimination.
Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, responded to the ruling by suspending the ongoing congressional primary to give the GOP-led legislature time to redraw one or both of the state’s districts that were created to ensure minority representation in Congress.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, New York Democrat, said Monday he has directed Rep. Joseph Morelle, a member of the U.S. House and the former New York State Assembly Majority Leader, to meet with state leaders Tuesday. They’ll discuss redrawing New York’s congressional districts “for the balance of the decade,” in response to the Supreme Court’s decision and Florida’s recent GOP-led redistricting.
Democrats currently occupy 16 U.S. House seats and Republicans hold 10 seats in New York.
“This is just the beginning,” Mr. Jeffries said. “Across the nation, we will sue, we will redraw and we will win. House Democrats will not allow a MAGA majority to be built on rigged maps and dilution of Black voting strength.”
The states are part of an ongoing partisan fight to redraw congressional districts nationwide ahead of the November election. The battle was set off in Texas, where GOP lawmakers approved a new congressional map that created five GOP-leaning seats.
California followed with a gerrymandered map that created five new Democrat-leaning seats.
Florida’s GOP legislature voted last week to redraw several of the state’s congressional districts to create an additional four seats where it would be easier to elect Republicans.
Florida Republicans approved the new map after a Democrat-led Virginia referendum that created four new districts likely to elect Democrats.
Redistricting in most states, including both Florida and Virginia, faces court challenges.
Alabama’s move is also dependent on a court ruling. The state needs the Supreme Court’s approval to redraw the districts ahead of the 2026 election because it is under an injunction that prohibits redrawing its congressional map until 2030.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall last week filed emergency motions asking the Supreme Court to lift injunctions blocking Alabama from using its 2023 congressional map. The motion argues that the injunctions “cannot survive the court’s ruling” on racial gerrymandering.
The state’s May 19 congressional primary will proceed until the Supreme Court rules on the motion, Mr. Marshall said.
The Alabama House and Senate convened briefly Monday without considering the redistricting proposal, and then gaveled out until Tuesday.
A last-minute redistricting push in New York could face legal hurdles thanks to the New York State Voting Rights Act of 2022 and other restrictions.
State law prohibits mid-decade redistricting and would require a constitutional amendment approved by two consecutive legislative sessions and passage by voter referendum.
State Sen. Michael Gianaris, a Democrat, has introduced legislation to amend the state’s constitution to permit mid-decade redistricting.
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
