Alabama lawmakers advanced a new congressional map on Monday—as required by the U.S. Supreme Court, which found the map lawmakers drew after the 2020 Census violated the Voting Rights Act—but the new proposed map only has one majority-Black district, even though the Supreme Court ordered lawmakers to push for two majority-Black districts.
The Alabama Statehouse stands on May 15, 2019 in Montgomery, Alabama. Lawmakers are in a special ... [+]
In a 14-6 party line vote, with all Democrats voting against the proposal, the Alabama Permanent Legislative Committee on Reapportionment recommended a new congressional district map with one district that is 53% Black and 43% white and one that is 44% Black and 52% white, in an apparent attempt to satisfy the Supreme Court’s ruling.
The new map was in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that required Alabama to draw two congressional districts “in which Black voters either comprise a voting-age majority or something quite close to it.”
The map will be presented to other lawmakers Monday afternoon and the legislature will debate the districts later this week.
Other lawmakers are able to introduce new maps throughout the week-long special session that started Monday, but a new map must be passed by Friday and receive approval from a federal court.