Reaction to block of Alabama’s new congressional map

From the West Alabama Newsroom–

A panel of federal judges blocked Alabama’s new congressional district lines — and ordered that new lines be drawn. The ruling has people talking — but no one seems very surprised.

Federal judges will now handle drawing new congressional lines for Alabama — after lawmakers didn’t create a second district where Black voters at least came close to comprising a majority — as suggested by the court.

“Our Alabama legislature has been directed again to redraw our congressional map. Because the map that they submitted, which we knew was not going to work, did not work,” said Collins Pettaway III.

“I expected this from the beginning, from the onset, that the three-judge panel would tell the Alabama Legislature that this was incorrect. And that they would have to put a special master up to draw the new map,” said State Representative Prince Chestnut.

“And the reason why you’re doing that is because they have no faith that the legislature is going to do anything different from what it did this last time.”

“This is a win for this fragile democracy,” said Faya Rose Toure.

“You know each time I think that things are near hopeless because we have a Republican majority, Trump majority in the legislature and our Supreme Court, but for this court which included two Trump appointees, to come to the conclusion that these three maps have to be redrawn by September the 25th. That is an amazing victory in this time of so much political conflict and controversy.”

“This changes the complexion of next year’s elections,” said political analyst Steve Flowers.

“And I think that the courts will come down with the lines pretty quickly. Wes Allen, the Secretary of State, has said I need them by October 1st.

Alabama is expected to appeal the decision to the United States Supreme Court.