The map must now be approved by a federal court which has set a hearing for midAugust. District currently represented by Democratic Congresswoman Terri Sewell would remain the only majorityBlack congressional district in Alabama. The new map actually reduces the Black voting age population in District from . to . according to data from the legislature. The map was invalidated when a three judge federal district court including two Trump nominees tackled a massive factual record over seven days of testimony and concluded that the plan likely violated the Voting Rights Act because Black voters have less opportunity than other Alabamians to elect candidates of their choice to Congress. There was never any intent in this building to comply with their court order said state Rep. Chris England a Tuscaloosa Democrat on Friday. Much of the special session consisted of argument over what terms included in the directive like quite close and opportunity actually meant. State GOP lawmakers acknowledged interest in the remedial map drawing process from Republicans in Washington DC like House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California and Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville. They have until July to submit their objections and the state can then issue its response before August . Then federal judges will hold a hearing on August to consider them. There is a possibility the panel could appoint a special master to draw a new one if the judges determine a new map does not comply with the order in Allen v. Milligan. The state legislature believes it is above the law. Lets be clear. What we are dealing with is a group of lawmakers who are blatantly disregarding the voting Rights Act but instead of a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court and a court order from the threejudge district court. We wont let that happen. Black voters of the state of Alabama deserve we deserve we rob us of the representation we deserve and instead we will continue to ignore pleas to ensure the map is fair and instead determine to remain determined to rob the black voters of their representation. The journey to finish off the Voting rights Act through Alabama continues. I am putting my hopes in the federal courts system and hopefully they will save Alabama from themselves. The Alabama legislature passed a remedial. map that includes one congressional district that has around Black voting. age population and a second district with roughly . The map came as the result of a Friday afternoon conference committee called a compromise by Republican leadership though no Democrats supported it after the two chambers had only approved their own different versions of the map. After the census Alabama enacted a congressional map that included just one Black majority district out of the states seven districts despite the fact that Black voters constitute of theStates population. The court pointed to the states history of discrimination and noted that the proposed plans put forward by the plaintiffs showing that a second majorityBlack district could be drawn. One plus one equals two and one plus zero equals one. One and zero equals two. Oneplus zero equals 1. The Republican House Speaker Pro Tempore Chris Pringle cochair of the redistricting committee said throughout the week he was prioritizing maps that were compact and contiguous but avoided racial gerrymanders that he said would violate the state constitution.
Alabama GOP governor approves congressional map with just one majority-Black district despite court order. Alabama GOP governor approved map despite court-ordered redraw.
