Federal court blocks Alabama's new congressional map

[discocrisco01]

Source: CNN

(CNN)A federal court blocked Alabama's newly drawn congressional map on Monday, ruling that it likely violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act because it only includes one district where Black voters have the opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice.

The order gives the legislature 14 days to draw a new map that includes "two districts in which Black voters either comprise a voting-age majority or something quite close to it."

The court also delayed the state's ballot qualification deadline from January 28 to February 11.

If Monday's decision stands, it will likely lead to Democrats gaining a seat in the House from Alabama this November

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/24/politics/alabama-redistricting-map-blocked/index.html

[oasis]

1. We'll need every seat this midterm. Great news. Nt

[JohnnyRingo]

11. I like to be optimistic, but I'm from Ohio

Here we voted twice to demand fair districts, US and state.
The Republicans drew up their first map that was absurd in a state that is nearly equal at 54% to 46% favoring republican. They decided that out of 15 US Congressional districts, we should have only 3 democratic and 1 toss up.

They didn't even pretend to comply and with a republican appointed panel, the Rs outnumbered Ds 4 to 2 so it sailed right through. The Dems sued just like in Alabama and a court decided they had to go back to the drawing board. They came back with nearly the same map without the toss up district as the deadline approached.

They quit caring about cheating long ago when they discovered they can't win elections on their merits and vision.

[oasis]

12. Good eye-opener. We're far from being "out of the woods" on this. nt

[JohnnyRingo]

15. Maybe republicans in Alabama have more respect for the courts

hahaha
I crack myself up sometimes, but good luck.

[JohnnyRingo]

2. Demographics in 'Bama are about two to one white.

69% to 25%, so it edges on 3 to 1, but out of 7 congressional districts only one favors democrats. Assuming most people of color vote blue (and they do assume that), then it clearly should be two districts to five at a minimum.

It's obvious that in this day of computers, Republicans have discovered a new way to retain power without all that tedious voting.

[Crowman2009]

4. There are plenty of blue counties in Alabama.

Montgomery, Jefferson (which includes Birmingham), and almost all of the rural black belt counties as well. Not sure if Mobile & Madison counties are since they didn't give Doug Jones a majority in the last election.

[KS Toronado]

6. If I'm reading you correctly Johnny........

Alabama is only 25% white (repugs), so if everything was fair and equal with no gerrymandering, repugs
should only have 2 of the 7 seats not the 6 they currently have.

[JohnnyRingo]

9. About 70% white non Hispanic. 25% AA

But out of seven, only one is certain democratic, or what republicans call "fair and equal".

It's been a whole new ball game since "Operation Red State" when republicans discovered the power of the computer. Before then they just used them to send hate filled memes to each other.

This is how it's done. The chart on the right looks a lot like the puzzle pieces of Congressional districts in Alabama and every other GOP controlled state:

[KS Toronado]

10. Thanks, I misread your original post

Like your GERRYMANDERING EXPLAINED meme

[Alexander Of Assyria]

3. This encapsulates a fundamental flaw in any democracy, the politicians drawing

maps is an abomination that keeps chewing up logic and forcing courts to slap the politicians about with a thing called real facts and evidence, only things admissible in a real court, not Twitter court…everything’s admissible.

Make it stop. Independent map drawers based on science, politicians go back to your fundraising.

American democracy is not broken it needs major repairs tho.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

5. From the opinion

Link to tweet

[LeftInTX]

8. Nothing on the Texas case, which was filed several months ago.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

13. I know one of the attorneys on that case

There is a hearing on Senate District 10 before the primary but the first real hearing in this case is not until the fall. The Texas primary will be held on March 1

[LeftInTX]

14. I know...September. for the congressional case....

There may be an earlier case in state courts, which involves two Texas House Districts in the RGV. It violates the Texas Constitution because county lines should and could have been the boundary, instead they needlessly cracked and packed across several counties.

[zanana1]

7. It's about damn time.

Someone has to stand up to those yahoos.

[Marthe48]

16. supremacists will keep trying to be high and mighty

Even after rulings like this, supremacists will try something else and something after that. But they will fail. More Americans want fairness and a melting pot (or salad bowl) than want a narrow-minded, mean-spirited gang of self-described elites in charge of everything from voting to pregnancies, and backing up their worldview how? By killing everyone who disagrees? Try as supremacists might, they will not succeed in making minorities invisible, or even second-class citizens. I'm standing with humans against supremacists hatred.

I attended the Hands Accross America, with my husband, children and my nephews. We stood strong with all of those people who joined hands across America to help the poor. There were gaps in the line and if we did this again to show solidarity against white supremacy, I bet we'd have a line clear across the U.S. But, we can't do something so symbolic now, because AR-15s.