ICYMI: National Redistricting Foundation Previews Filing in SCOTUS Louisiana Redistricting Case

For Immediate Release
December 18, 2024
Contact
Madia Coleman
coleman@redistrictingfoundation.org

Washington, D.C. – Today, the National Redistricting Foundation (NRF), the 501(c)(3) affiliate of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC), hosted a press call on Louisiana v. Callais, a redistricting lawsuit that is set to go before the U.S. Supreme Court next year. During that call, the NRF’s Executive Director, Marina Jenkins, previewed the organization’s amicus brief, which will outline an argument for why the Court should permanently reinstate Louisiana’s Voting Rights Act (VRA)-compliant map. The NRF will submit its amicus brief to the Court on December 26. 

Excerpts from remarks by Marina Jenkins, Executive Director of the NRF:

“Ultimately, this should be an easy decision for the Court. A textbook application of Section 2 requires a congressional map with two Black opportunity districts in Louisiana. Louisiana’s legislature passed—and their governor signed—a new map to comply with Section 2. That map should be given deference under the Supreme Court’s own recent precedent.”

“The judiciary must enforce the law when rights are violated. To do otherwise erodes the people's faith in our institutions and our democracy. We cannot let that stand.”

“For years, Black Louisianans have been denied their rightful representation at the ballot box. To continue this would be an affront to the sacrifices made by brave Americans who stood up proudly and fought for their fundamental freedoms—and continue to do so.”

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:

In 2022, the NRF initiated Galmon v. Ardoin, consolidated with Robinson v. Ardoin, a lawsuit that challenged Louisiana's gerrymandered congressional map in violation of Section 2 of the VRA and ultimately was successful in requiring the State of Louisiana to enact a new map that includes two Black Opportunity Districts in compliance with Section 2. 
Immediately after enactment of the new map, a new lawsuit was filed and a lower court wrongly struck down Louisiana’s VRA-compliant map. Following that decision, the NRF-supported plaintiffs, alongside the Robinson plaintiffs, filed an emergency stay request to the U.S. Supreme Court asking the Court to block the lower court’s decision and keep the VRA-compliant map in place for the 2024 election while the case was appealed—and the Court did so. Now the U.S. Supreme Court will consider Louisiana v. Callais in its current 2024-2025 term. This case will not only determine the future of Louisiana’s VRA-compliant congressional map, but also could impact the future of critical VRA protections. To learn more about the NRF’s work, click here.

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