Alabama’s court order for a new map in 2022 has been blocked by the Supreme Court, which lifted a stay last month on a decision that upheld a key part of the civil rights era of the Voting Rights Act.
Former Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said the latest redraw “would make George Wallace proud,” invoking the former Alabama governor who blocked school integration until President John F. Kennedy federalized the National Guard.
“Throughout the redraw process, the debate among legislative Republicans has not been about how best to ensure that Black Alabamians have the opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice,” Holder, chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said in a statement last week. “Instead, this is a debate between two maps that seek to preserve an illegal and discriminatory status quo.”
Defended by Alabama Gov. For Ivey the new map, which does not create new districts where Black voters are in the majority or close to it, as many believe the court ordered.
“The Legislature knows our state, our people and our districts better than the federal courts or activist groups, and I’m glad they answered the call, stayed focused and created new districts before the court deadline,” Ivey said in a statement.
