Dispute over Louisiana district returns to justices after long legal saga – and could have far-reaching implications
The US supreme court will hear a hugely consequential case on Wednesday that will determine the future of the Voting Rights Act, the landmark civil rights law designed to prevent discrimination in voting.
The case, Louisiana v Callais, involves a dispute over Louisiana’s sixth congressional district, which snakes from Shreveport in the state’s north-west to Baton Rouge in the center. Louisiana Republicans drew the district after a successful lawsuit filed by Black voters under section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which outlaws election procedures and practices that discriminate on the basis of race.