Redistricting Fight Heads Back to Federal Court

The fight over redistricting is headed back to federal court.

A three-judge panel will hear arguments Tuesday in Montgomery over whether legislators relied too much on race when they drew legislative district lines.

A divided U.S. Supreme Court in March sent the map back for an additional review. The Legislative Black Caucus had challenged the lines that were the drawn by the newly elected GOP legislative majority. Black lawmakers said Republicans “stacked and packed” black voters into designated minority districts, limiting their ability to influence elections elsewhere.

Lawmakers said they complied with the Voting Rights Act by preserving minority representation in the Alabama Legislature. They said voters were shifted to make legislative districts roughly the same size.

The state will have to hold new elections if the map is tossed.

 

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