Former President Barack Obama on Wednesday excoriated the Supreme Court over its ruling in a Louisiana redistricting case that is expected to trigger a wave of redistricting moves across the South.The Supreme Court decision saw the justices bar the use of race in drawing congressional district lines under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. At issue was Louisiana’s drawing of a majority black district on the orders of a lower court. The ruling struck down the district and southern states are expected to move quickly to eliminate Democratic-leaning districts as a consequence.
“Today’s Supreme Court decision effectively guts a key pillar of the Voting Rights Act, freeing state legislatures to gerrymander legislative districts to systematically dilute and weaken the voting power of racial minorities – so long as they do it under the guise of ‘partisanship’ rather than explicit ‘racial bias,'” he said in a statement. “And it serves as just one more example of how a majority of the current Court seems intent on abandoning its vital role in ensuring equal participation in our democracy and protecting the rights of minority groups against majority overreach.””The good news is that such setbacks can be overcome,” he added. “But that will only happen if citizens across the country who cherish our democratic ideals continue to mobilize and vote in record numbers – not just in the upcoming midterms or in high profile races, but in every election and every level.”
Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.
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