Alabama Republicans on Monday defended their decision not to create a second majority-Black district in a hearing before a panel of federal judges over the stateā€™s redrawn congressional maps.

State Republicans continue to resist court orders, including from the supreme court in June, to amend the congressional maps to give Black voters increased political power and representation.

Lawyers for voters called Alabamaā€™s plan, which maintains one majority-Black district, discriminatory. Abha Khanna, an attorney representing one group of plaintiffs in the case, said Alabama chose ā€œdefiance over complianceā€.

ā€¦

In response to the ruling, Alabama Republicans boosted the percentage of Black voters in the majority-white second congressional district, now represented by Republican representative Barry Moore, from about 30% to 39.9%, failing to give Black voters a majority which would allow them to elect their candidate of choice.

A lawyer for the state accused plaintiffs of seeking a ā€œracial gerrymanderā€ over traditional guidelines for drawing districts, such as keeping districts compact and keeping communities of interest together.

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldB
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    13
    Ā·
    1 year ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    Alabama Republicans on Monday defended their decision not to create a second majority-Black district in a hearing before a panel of federal judges over the stateā€™s redrawn congressional maps.

    Abha Khanna, an attorney representing one group of plaintiffs in the case, said Alabama chose ā€œdefiance over complianceā€.

    The results of the extended court battle could also determine whether Democrats pick up another seat in Congress, where Republicans currently hold a slim majority.

    ā€œItā€™s unlawful to enforce proportionality over traditional redistricting principles,ā€ Edmund LaCour, Alabamaā€™s solicitor general, told the three-judge panel.

    Plaintiffs in the supreme court case attended with many wearing T-shirts printed with their proposed map which would have two majority-Black districts.

    ā€œAlabamaā€™s latest congressional map is a continuation of the stateā€™s sordid history of defying court orders intended to protect the rights of Black voters,ā€ former US attorney general Eric Holder, chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said in a statement.


    Iā€™m a bot and Iā€™m open source!