The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Aug. 4, 2023
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
We’re back in Alabama today, where freedom-to-vote and civil rights groups go back to federal district court August 14th to oppose the legislature’s defiant racially gerrymandered Congressional voting district map.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s Allen v. Milligan decision made clear that to be in compliance with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, Alabama should create a map with two majority-minority districts. The state has seven Congressional Districts and is almost 27% African-American, but has only one majority-Black district.
The legislature refused, again creating one BARELY majority Black district at 50.65%, and another district which the overwhelmingly white majority legislature called an “opportunity” district at 40%. During the Milligan case, experts proposed a map with two majority-Black districts, which the legislature chose to ignore.
A complaint filed July 28th by plaintiffs begins with the words, “Alabama is in open defiance of the federal courts,” and they ask, QUOTE “That the Court enjoin Alabama’s proposed plan as a plainly insufficient remedy and proceed to a Court-driven remedial process to ensure Plaintiffs obtain relief in time for the 2024 election.”
The “remedial process” would likely be a court-appointed special master to draw a compliant map. The complaint will be heard August 14th in the U.S. District Court in Birmingham.
We have a link to the full complaint and groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
CNN – Supreme Court orders voting maps redrawn in Alabama to accommodate Black voters in surprise ruling
Democracy Docket – After Allen v. Milligan, Plaintiffs Submit Proposed Remedial Map to Alabama Legislature
AL.com – Zero for 11: Election results show new Alabama map won’t fix voting rights violation, Black voters say
Alabama Reflector – Milligan plaintiffs: New Alabama congressional map is unfair; approval process was closed
WHNT Huntsville – Plaintiffs ask court to block Alabama’s new Congressional map
U.S. District Court/Democracy Docket – PLAINTIFFS’ OBJECTIONS TO ALABAMA LEGISLATURE’S
REMEDIAL CONGRESSIONAL PLAN
Groups Taking Action:
National Redistricting Foundation, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, ACLU Alabama
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#Democracy #DemocracyNews #FairMaps #AlabamaPolitics