The Supreme Court shadow docket: Alabama redistricting case renews fight among justices
This post was originally published on this siteJustice Kagan said the Alabama redistricting dispute over the dilution of the Black vote called for “thorough consideration” by the Supreme Court.
Critics say GOP Bill in Alabama would ‘decapitate public education’
This post was originally published on this site Progressive critics are warning that Alabama Republican Sen. Del Marsh’s so-called “Parents’ Choice Act,” which advanced out of committee on Wednesday, would “end state support of public education.” “It’s about ending the collective commitment to and responsibility for educating the next generations.”...
Voting rights groups urge Supreme Court to let order for redrawn Alabama congressional map stand
This post was originally published on this siteLawyers for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and other groups told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that it should leave in place a lower court opinion ordering Alabama to redraw its congressional map.
Pennsylvania, Arizona, Alabama: the Senate primary races to watch in 2022
This post was originally published on this siteThese are the competitive Senate primaries that will help shape the 2022 midterm general elections.
Court strikes down Alabama GOP’s racist congressional map
This post was originally published on this site With the midterm elections just months away, a trio of federal judges late Monday struck down Alabama’s newly drawn congressional districts on the grounds that they discriminated against Black voters, forcing state lawmakers to craft new maps. In its unanimous ruling, the...
Judges toss out new Alabama congressional map, order state to add a 2nd substantially Black district
A panel of three federal judges in Alabama ruled unanimously Monday that Alabama needs to draw a new congressional map that includes “two districts in which Black voters either comprise a voting-age majority or something quite close to it.” The GOP-led state Legislature approved a congressional map last year that retains six majority-white districts and one majority-Black district, even though Alabama’s population is about 27 percent Black. Alabama’s congressional delegation includes six House Republicans and one House Democrat representing the 7th Congressional District.
The three judges — one appointed by President Bill Clinton and the other two by President Donald Trump — said the plaintiffs in the three consolidated cases are “substantially likely” to prevail in their claim that Alabama’s current congressional map violates the Voting Rights Act.
“Black voters have less opportunity than other Alabamians to elect candidates of their choice to Congress,” the 225-page ruling says. “We find that the plaintiffs will suffer an irreparable harm if they must vote in the 2022 congressional elections based on a redistricting plan that violates federal law.” The judges blocked the current map and pushed back the Jan. 28 deadline for candidate qualification to Feb. 11 to give the Legislature time to approve a remedial map.
If state lawmakers are unable to come up with a new map in two weeks, the judges said they would provide an expert to draw the new districts. But “we are confident that the Legislature can accomplish its task,” the judges said, noting that they drew the now-blocked map “in a matter of days” last year.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s (R) office said it “strongly disagrees with the court’s decision and will be appealing in the coming days.”
Texas-style abortion bans proliferate as court battle looms
This post was originally published on this siteState legislators who oppose abortion rights are preparing legislation to mirror a Texas law passed last year that would allow residents to sue doctors who perform abortions, as the U.S. Supreme Court considers striking down or undermining the half-…
Alabama GOP gears for fierce Senate primary clash
This post was originally published on this siteAlabama Republicans are heading for a dogfight in the state’s Senate primary, with GOP voters in the reddest of states set to forecast which of the party’s disparate wings could be ascendant in the November midterms.The nominating contest is largely…
Why Alabama Coal Miners Are Still on Strike
This post was originally published on this siteKim Kelly Greg Pilkerton has been fighting for better pay and working conditions for 10 months. He explains why he and his union comrades aren’t giving up. The post Why Alabama Coal Miners Are Still on Strike appeared first on The Nation.
Alabama Republican touts provision in infrastructure bill he voted against
This post was originally published on this siteRep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.) this week touted a provision in the bipartisan infrastructure law that President Biden signed on Monday, despite the fact that he voted against the legislation.Palmer issued a statement on Monday highlighting a provision…
