The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Oct. 11, 2023
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
We reported yesterday that a federal appeals court chose a fairer Congressional redistricting map in Alabama, giving Black voters a better shot at electing the candidates of their choice. Other states also have racial gerrymandering cases pending, but it’s unclear whether the resolution in Alabama will translate to fairness in Louisiana & South Carolina.
Louisiana’s African American population is even larger than Alabama’s at 33%, yet it has only one Congressional majority minority district out of six – 16.6%. In late September, two Conservative U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals judges blocked further action on new fair maps. Democracy advocates immediately asked the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency stay. But it’s unclear whether Justice Samuel Alito, in charge of emergency stays, will grant that request, or pass it on to the full court, where Justice Brett Kavanaugh could reconsider his Milligan position.
October 11th, oral arguments in a South Carolina case will be heard in the Supreme Court case raising even more concerns. The South Carolina legislature argues its Congressional map is PARTISAN gerrymandering, not RACIAL gerrymandering. In 2019, the high court deemed partisan gerrymandering to be a state, not federal, issue.
If the court decides it was done for partisan reasons, it may green light more dilutution of Black voting power by state legislatures – just cloaked as partisan gerrymandering.
We have more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Alabama Reflector – Federal court selects new Alabama congressional map
Democracy Docket – Redistricting Lagniappe: The Fight for a Second Majority-Black District in Louisiana
NPR – An appeals court has blocked the redrawing of Louisiana’s congressional map
American Democracy Minute – Future SCOTUS Case on South Carolina Racial Gerrymandering Could Further Erode Federal Protections
All About Redistricting – Alexander (was McMaster) v. S.C. State Conf. of the NAACP
Democracy Docket – South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District Heads to the U.S. Supreme Court
WLTX – U.S. Supreme Court to take up SC redistricting case this week
ProPublica – Democratic Rep. Clyburn’s Role in Redrawn Congressional Maps Becomes Key in Supreme Court Redistricting Case
Groups Taking Action:
Louisiana – Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, ACLU of Louisiana
South Carolina – South Carolina Conference of the NAACP, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, The American Redistricting Project, ACLU
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#Democracy #DemocracyNews #RacialGerrymandering #EndGerrymandering #SouthCarolinaPolitics #LouisianaPolitics