The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments today over another Alabama voting rights case. The justices will consider whether Congressional voting maps rejected by a lower federal court panel unfairly dilute the power of black voters. Alabama currently packs African-American voters into one congressional district.
Latisha Gotell Faulks with the Alabama ACLU says arguments against the maps make legal sense whether the Supreme Court is majority conservative or not.
“My hope is that they will affirm the preliminary imposed by the three judge panel and send us back to the district court,” Faulks said.
The conservative leaning majority on the high court overturned the landmark abortion rights case of Roe v Wade during its last term. There’s speculation the justices could render more right-leaning decisions this time around, possibly including the Alabama voting rights case.
Faulks says if the high court decides against them, her side will go back to a lower court and keep arguing.
“We will once again demonstrate that the maps in Alabama are not fair, they are not appropriate and they must be changed,” she said.
Alabama’s voting rights case is part of a crowded docket for the nation’s highest court. The justices are also poised to consider issues like affirmative action. In that case from Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, the court could end any consideration of race in college admissions.
The justices indicate they will consider arguments on LGBTQ rights as well.
