Louisiana GOP Passes Map Eliminating Majority-Black District After Supreme Court Limits VRA

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in *Louisiana v. Callais* that a lower court's order requiring a second majority-Black district likely constituted an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, allowing Louisiana's 2024 map—with only one majority-Black district—to take effect. While the decision technically left Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act intact, it cleared the path for state legislatures to dismantle existing majority-minority districts. Within weeks, the Louisiana legislature—controlled by Republicans—passed Senate Bill 121, a redistricting bill that eliminated one of the state's two majority-Black districts despite Black residents comprising roughly one-third of Louisiana's population. The bill advanced through party-line votes and finally passed both chambers in May. The new map, which divides Black communities in Baton Rouge and Acadiana into predominantly white districts, gives Republicans an additional seat in their bid to maintain control of Congress. The precise partisan split is not confirmed by the cited sources, but the effect is clear: the map reduces Black voters' collective influence in congressional elections.

The Supreme Court's ruling, as detailed by SCOTUSblog, did not strike down Section 2 entirely but left it severely weakened, removing the judicial guardrail that had previously required states like Louisiana to draw districts that fairly represent minority communities. In her dissent, Justice Kagan noted the decision 'renders core civil rights protections meaningless' (NPR). Louisiana's swift legislative action demonstrates how quickly state lawmakers can exploit such a ruling. As of this writing, no federal lawsuit has been filed challenging the new map, though legal experts expect an equal protection challenge. Meanwhile, Congress could pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R.14 in the 119th Congress) to restore Section 2's protections, but that remains an unenacted proposal. The fight now centers on state legislatures and Congress to prevent further erosion of minority voting strength.