All sides are preparing arguments for a three judge panel over how Alabama draws future voting maps. A three-judge federal panel has scheduled a hearing one week from today on whether federal oversight is needed for Alabama. Criticism was made over how conservative handled the creation of the new minority U.S. House seat in District two. Democrat Terri Sewell represents district seven. She says she’ll watching those proceedings closely…
“I truly believe that federal oversight should be available and used when states go amok, when states are suppressing the vote instead of allowing folks to vote, or if states are drawing maps that dilute the power of minority voters,” Sewell said.
The U.S. Supreme Court is considering Alabama’s appeal over how the District 2 map was drawn, with the intent to better reflect African American voting power in a state where blacks make up roughly a third of the population. The same SCOTUS that overturned the abortion decision Roe V. Wade, and ended affirmative action at the nation’s universities, informed Alabama that it needed to do a better job representing African American voters. Representative Sewell says she’s been watcing the case since before the original high court ruling…
“We were very pleased with the results of the Milligan case, which allowed for a second minority district, opportunity district right here in Alabama. So I'm no longer the lone Democrat in Alabama's delegation. I have Shomari Figures in district two as well, and I think that this makes Alabama stronger,” she said
Democrat Figures was elected to the new District two U.S. House Seat. Go to apr.org to hear his interview on APR Notebook. The legal proceedings stem from a May federal court ruling that Alabama’s 2023 congressional map deliberately discriminated against Black voters. The decision permanently blocks the use of that map and established Alabama’s second majority black Congressional district. Sewell and Figures represent the first time two blacks have occupied two U.S. House seats at the same time ever.
