American Democracy Minute | Radio Report & Podcast on Democracy Issues

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for July 19, 2023

Map Source: AL Representative Chris England

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time)

Today’s Links now below the script

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Democracy advocates in Alabama are incredulous after an Alabama state legislative committee passed a new Congressional voting district map on Monday which again proposed only one majority Black district.

The Alabama Reflector reports that the state reapportionment committee approved the map without a previous hearing, and without transparency on the factors used to create it. June 8th, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the Alabama legislature’s earlier map as violating Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Alabama’s population is 25.9% African American, yet only one in seven of Alabama’s Congressional districts is majority Black.

The new map includes one district which is 51.6% Black, and another which is 42.5%, which the majority White committee called an “opportunity” district. A map submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court during the Milligan case had two majority Black districts, as did several of the 80 publicly-submitted maps.

Marina Jenkins, Executive Director of the National Redistricting Foundation said in a statement, “The Alabama legislative Republicans have a choice to either continue with this atrocious pattern of voter disenfranchisement and to be challenged in court, or finally pass a map that appropriately reflects the state’s voters.”

The map will now be considered by Alabama House and Senate Committees, and will likely face further litigation if approved.

We have links to articles and analysis at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

U.S. Supreme Court – Allen v. Milligan Decision

Democracy Docket – U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Alabama Congressional Map, Upholds Voting Rights Act

Alabama Reflector – Proposed Alabama congressional map would only have one majority-Black district

Axios – New Alabama congressional map plan already under fire

Forbes – Alabama GOP Passes New Congressional Map With Just 1 Black-Majority District, Not 2—Despite Supreme Court Ruling