Supreme Court blocks creation of a second mostly Black congressional district in Louisiana for 2022
CBSDec 29, 2021
SCOTUS: Louisiana Allowed to Use Republican-Drawn Map
Image copyright: Reuters [via The Wall Street Journal]
The Facts
SCOTUS on Tues. ruled 6-3 granting an application from the Louisiana GOP to block a district court ruling that ordered the state to issue a second majority-Black congressional district.
The ruling is another setback for civil rights activists and Democrats who argue the redistricting process often disadvantages growing minority communities.
The Spin
Republican narrative
Democrats complain about gerrymandering as if it's something only Republicans do but, as we've seen in states like New York and Oregon, they implement the same district-map-drawing schemes when they have the majority. Gerrymandering has occurred from both sides since the nation's founding, and Louisiana has the same right to draw maps the way they want as New York and Oregon do.
Democratic narrative
Democrats have certainly been the party calling for an end to the GOP's unethical, racially-based gerrymandering for at least a decade. That being said, without a clear and likely national resolution to the problem soon, the Democrats should continue drawing up districts to benefit themselves as much as possible or they'll risk losing the legislature in this year's midterms.
Cynical narrative
Both Democrats and Republicans gerrymander massively, making American democracy far from fair. Election laws should change.