High Court reasserts Voting Rights Act in Alabama decision

High Court reasserts Voting Rights Act in Alabama decision

The case could affect redistricting in other racially polarized states.
By TARINI PARTI 3/25/15 12:04 PM EDT Updated 3/26/15 8:23 AM EDT

The Supreme Court stopped just short of ruling Alabama’s redistricting plan unconstitutional on Wednesday, but it sent a clear message to lawmakers across the country that the Voting Rights Act can’t be used to justify maps that predominately group voters together based on their race.

In a 5-4 ruling, the high court sided with black lawmakers and Democrats in Alabama in throwing out a lower court’s decision that upheld the GOP-drawn state legislative map. This was the court’s second high-stakes decision in two years dealing with the Voting Rights Act and will likely have an affect on redistricting legal battles in states like Virginia and North Carolina.


Politico
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/03/supreme-court-alabama-redistricting-ruling-116384.html