Steve Marshall urges Congress to amend Voting Rights Act
Updated
Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 6
Steve Marshall urges Congress to amend Voting Rights Act
8 articles · Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 6
Writing after the Supreme Court's Louisiana v. Callais ruling, Alabama's attorney general said lawmakers should curb race-based redistricting standards and restore race-neutral mapmaking rules.
Marshall argued the 1982 Voting Rights Act amendments let courts push racial proportionality, and proposed codifying bans on intentional discrimination while prioritising compactness, contiguity and political subdivisions.
He said any change would need 60 Senate votes or attachment to must-pass bills, warning future court shifts could reopen redistricting battles in Alabama and beyond.
How will states and courts navigate the new, stricter 'intent' standard for proving voting discrimination?
Alabama's Redistricting Battle After Supreme Court's *Louisiana v. Callais*: Dismantling Minority Districts and Shifting Southern Power
Overview
On April 29, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v. Callais raised the legal standard for challenging redistricting maps, requiring proof of intentional discrimination rather than just discriminatory effects. This decision led Alabama's Attorney General Steve Marshall to file motions to reinstate previously blocked maps and Governor Kay Ivey to call a special legislative session aiming to redraw districts that would reduce Black electoral representation and favor Republicans. Other Southern states quickly followed, initiating similar efforts that threaten to eliminate multiple majority-Black districts, creating predominantly white, Republican delegations. While supporters praise the ruling for restoring state control and race-neutral criteria, critics warn it undermines minority voting power and call for federal legislation to protect voting rights amid growing election uncertainty.