The Supreme Court Just Effectively Repealed The Voting Rights Act

Will Congress even notice?

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court gutted what was left of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In the long-dreaded Louisiana v. Callais, six justices held that the 14th Amendment prohibits states from drawing majority-minority legislative districts to preserve minority representation in Congress under Section 2 of the VRA. By an amazing coincidence, this will allow Republicans to draw out as many as 20 seats currently held by Democrats.

We knew it was coming, but it’s still a gut punch.

The immediate effect of the Court’s opinion is to strike down Louisiana’s electoral map and allow the Republican-dominated legislature to eliminate at least one of the state’s two majority-Black congressional districts. Despite making up a third of the state’s population, Black residents of Louisiana will have a meaningful opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice in just one of six congressional seats. For now.