Politics

Alabama Republicans are poised to pass new congressional district maps that ignore a Supreme Court order to create a second majority-Black district. The proposed maps include a district that is only 42% Black in the House plan and 38% Black in the Senate plan, which voting rights groups say would not give Black voters a real chance to elect candidates of their choice. Plaintiffs who challenged the original maps as a violation of the Voting Rights Act plan to fight the new maps in court as well, arguing that Alabama Republicans are intentionally drawing maps that disenfranchise Black voters in defiance of the Supreme Court order. The new maps have drawn national attention, with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reaching out to Alabama legislators to discuss how the maps could impact control of Congress.