Supreme Court to hear Louisiana VRA Section 2 case Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. ET
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a Voting Rights Act Section 2 challenge to Louisiana’s congressional map on Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. ET, a case in which Louisiana Attorney General Elizabeth Murrill contends that race‑based redistricting is fundamentally contrary to the Constitution. The dispute follows the Court’s 2023 Alabama ruling and Louisiana’s creation of a second majority‑Black district — now 54% Black registered voters in Rep. Cleo Fields’ roughly 218‑mile district from Baton Rouge to Shreveport across parts of 10 parishes — and Black residents and local officials warn the outcome could strip away that representation amid broader GOP pushes to redraw maps mid‑decade.
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📌 Key Facts
- Oral arguments are scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 15, at 10 a.m. ET before the Supreme Court.
- The case challenges Louisiana’s redistricting plan that added a second majority-Black congressional district after the Supreme Court’s 2023 Alabama ruling.
- Louisiana Attorney General Elizabeth Murrill argues that “race-based redistricting is fundamentally contrary to our Constitution.”
- Under the new boundaries for Rep. Cleo Fields’ district, Black residents account for 54% of registered voters, up from 24% under the prior map.
- The new district is geographically long and narrow—roughly 218 miles from Baton Rouge to Shreveport—spanning parts of 10 parishes and tracing the Red River.
- On-the-record comments from Rep. Cleo Fields and Mansfield Mayor Thomas Jones Jr. emphasize the district’s representation and the high stakes of the Supreme Court case for local residents.
- PBS notes broader political context: President Trump has urged Texas and other GOP-led states to redraw maps mid-decade, a dynamic referenced in coverage of the redistricting debate.
📰 Sources (3)
Black residents worry new congressional district could be lost in Supreme Court case
New information:
- AP details that Black residents account for 54% of registered voters in Rep. Cleo Fields’ district, up from 24% under prior boundaries.
- Describes the district’s geography: roughly 218 miles from Baton Rouge to Shreveport, spanning parts of 10 parishes and tracing the Red River in a narrow diagonal.
- On‑the‑record quotes from Rep. Cleo Fields and Mansfield Mayor Thomas Jones Jr. about the district’s representation and stakes of the case.
LISTEN LIVE: SCOTUS hears redistricting case that could reduce representation for Black voters
New information:
- Oral arguments are scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 15, at 10 a.m. ET.
- Louisiana AG Elizabeth Murrill’s filing asserts: “Race-based redistricting is fundamentally contrary to our Constitution.”
- Context that Louisiana added a second majority-Black district after the Supreme Court’s 2023 Alabama ruling.
- Article highlights that President Trump has urged Texas and other GOP-led states to redraw maps mid-decade.