Oct. 15 (UPI) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday is set to revisit a congressional map case it first heard earlier this year that could give Republicans an even greater majority in the U.S. House.
The case, Louisiana vs. Callais, first went before the high court in March, but justices declined to hand down a decision at the time.
They are considering whether a congressional map — redrawn in 2024 to ensure there were two Black-majority districts — violates the 15th Amendment and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The Equal Protection Clause was enacted to protect voting rights for the formerly enslaved and the 15th Amendment prevents the government from denying voting rights based on race.
Louisiana lawmakers redrew the congressional map in 2024 to comply with a court ruling that said the Republican-controlled legislature had illegally disenfranchised Black voters under its previous redistricting plan based on the 2020 census. The ruling said the original map violated the Voting Rights Act.
Twelve plaintiffs, led by Phillip Callais, however, argued that redrawing the map based on race to increase the number of Black-majority districts was in violation of the 14th and 15th Amendments. The lawsuit alleges the new map “over-represents Black voters,” threatening a loss of Republican control in the U.S. House.
The results of the case before the high court could have wide-reaching effects beyond Louisiana. Should the U.S. Supreme Court rule in favor of the plaintiffs, Democrats could lose up to 19 congressional seats across the country, according to NPR.
Republicans have said the Constitution prevents lawmakers from considering race in creating policy, a position that led the Supreme Court to ban affirmative action in university admissions in 2023, NBC News reported.
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