The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for May 13, 2026
It took two trips to the U.S. Supreme Court to finally compel a second majority-Black congressional district in 2025, after a defiant Alabama legislature would not. May 11th, the U.S. Supreme Court majority reversed course, granting the State of Alabama’s emergency request to draw new maps after the Callais decision.
Alabama’s population is almost 27% African American, but in 2022, in only one of seven congressional districts did Black voters have a realistic chance to elect the candidate of their choice. In 2023’s Allen v. Milligan case, Justices Roberts and Kavanaugh sided with the liberal justices and agreed that the Alabama legislature had intentionally diluted Black voting power, and that new maps were required under the Voting Rights Act’s Section 2.
The Alabama legislature responded with another map violating the VRA, later struck down by an appeals court, The court instead ordered a special master to create a map with two majority-minority districts.
It was that map which was stayed by the high court’s same conservatives May 11th, reversing their own precedent and clearing the way for the Alabama legislature to likely eliminate both Black-majority congressional districts and add additional GOP congressional seats.
We have more on Allen v. Milligan and the Alabama legislature’s discriminatory redistricting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org, I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
U.S. Supreme Court – Stay in Allen v. Milligan and combined cases
SCOTUSBlog – Court clears way for Alabama to use congressional map blocked by lower court as racially discriminatory
Alabama Reflector – US Supreme Court overturns 2023 Alabama map ruling, clearing the way for redistricting
Alabama Reflector – (2025) Federal court: Alabama Legislature intentionally discriminated against Black voters in redistricting
Related ADM Reports:
American Democracy Minute – (2025) For the First Time in American History, Alabama Has 2 Black Members Congress, Thanks to the Protections of the VRA. It Wasn’t Easy.
American Democracy Minute – (2023) Alabama Redistricting Committee Defies SCOTUS Milligan Decision, Again Proposing Only One Majority Black Congressional District
American Democracy Minute – (2023) Bombshell SCOTUS Decision in Alabama Case Reaffirms VRA Section 2 and May Impact 2024 Elections
All About Redistricting – Milligan v. Allen (was Merrill)
Groups Taking Action:
NAACP Legal Defense Fund, ACLU Alabama
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State
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