Alabama's Republican-controlled legislature redrew congressional maps in ways that violate the Supreme Court's clearest redistricting prohibition, according to legal experts reviewing the new boundaries. The maps dilute Black voting power in violation of the Voting Rights Act, a practice the Court has consistently blocked across multiple rulings.
The case Allen v. Milligan returns to the Supreme Court for the third time, reflecting Alabama's repeated failures to comply with federal law. The state created new districts that pack Black voters into fewer seats or spread them across districts where they cannot form voting majorities, practices deemed racial gerrymandering under established precedent.
Legal analysts describe the legislative work as exceptionally poor draftsmanship. Alabama's legal team presented boundaries to the Court that directly contradict its own prior rulings and Supreme Court precedent dating back decades. The maps appear designed to reduce Black representation despite Alabama's substantial Black population and voting age demographic.
The Republican legislature controls the redistricting process and has resisted court-ordered changes repeatedly. Each iteration of Alabama's maps has prompted litigation, with federal courts and the Supreme Court rejecting boundaries on racial discrimination grounds. Yet the state continues proposing similar configurations, suggesting either institutional incompetence or willful disregard for legal constraints.
The Supreme Court has long held that race cannot be the predominant factor in drawing district lines, even when done to benefit minority voters. Alabama's maps appear to violate this principle by explicitly diluting Black voting strength. The state cannot credibly argue partisan intent masked the racial intent, given the stark demographic patterns.
Legal observers expect the Supreme Court to again reject Alabama's maps. The repeated violations and poor legal arguments available to defend the boundaries suggest the justices will issue another ruling against the state. Alabama faces potential court-appointed redistricting if it cannot produce compliant maps, removing the process from Republican legislative control entirely.