Ketanji Brown Jackson Archives | American Democracy Minute A 90 second radio news report & podcast on U.S. democracy issues Thu, 16 May 2024 15:35:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 https://i0.wp.com/www.americandemocracyminute.org/wethepeople/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/AmericanDemocracyMinuteLogo3_sm.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Ketanji Brown Jackson Archives | American Democracy Minute 32 32 204031415 U.S. Supreme Court Stays 5th Circuit, Allowing Louisiana’s Fairer Congressional Maps – Apparently Invoking the Purcell Principle https://www.americandemocracyminute.org/wethepeople/2024/05/16/u-s-supreme-court-stays-5th-circuit-allowing-louisianas-fairer-congressional-maps-apparently-invoking-the-purcell-principle/ Thu, 16 May 2024 15:11:16 +0000 https://www.americandemocracyminute.org/wethepeople/?p=3437 From the American Democracy Minute Radio Report!

We recently explained the Supreme Court’s Purcell principle and its impact. May 15th, the  U.S. Supreme Court overturned a shocking Fifth Circuit decision to throw out fairer Congressional districts for Louisiana. The Purcell principle apparently played a role.

The post U.S. Supreme Court Stays 5th Circuit, Allowing Louisiana’s Fairer Congressional Maps – Apparently Invoking the Purcell Principle appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

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From the American Democracy Minute Radio Report!



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 recently explained the Supreme Court’s Purcell principle and its impact. May 15th, the  U.S. Supreme Court overturned a shocking Fifth Circuit decision to throw out fairer Congressional districts for Louisiana. The Purcell principle apparently played a role.

The 2006 Purcell principle instructed courts not to hand down decisions which would disrupt election administration too close to the election, confusing voters.   

Louisiana’s 2021 racially-gerrymandered Congressional districts were finally changed in 2024 to include two majority-Black districts in compliance with the Voting Rights Act.  April 30th, the Fifth Circuit threw those districts out – six months before the election.  Democracy groups appealed, and May 15th, the U.S. Supreme Court stayed the Fifth Circuit ruling, pending a full appeal.  It’s likely the case won’t be heard until next year, so fairer maps remain in place for the 2024 election.  That’s good news, sort of.

Although the order itself doesn’t mention Purcell, dissents from Justices Jackson and Kagan do.  Jackson writes, “In my view, Purcell has no role to play here. There is little risk of voter confusion from a new map being imposed this far out from the November election. In fact, we have often denied stays of redistricting orders issued as close or closer to an election.” 

Justices need to figure out how close is too close, and soon.  No less than the freedom to vote hangs in the balance.  Find out more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
American Democracy Minute –  Louisiana Legislature Hashes Out New Court-Ordered Congressional Maps with Two Majority Black Districts
American Democracy Minute – The Federal 5th Circuit Backtracks on Louisiana Congressional Maps, Throwing Out New Map Which Gave Black Voters & Candidates a Chance
U.S. Supreme Court via Democracy Docket – PRESS ROBINSON, ET AL. v. PHILLIP CALLAIS, ET AL.
ON APPLICATION FOR STAY

SCOTUS Blog – Court allows Louisiana to move forward with two majority-Black districts
Louisiana Illuminator – Supreme Court orders Louisiana to use congressional map with two majority-Black districts
American Democracy Minute – The Purcell Principle:  A SCOTUS Decision Intended to Avoid Voter Confusion May Now Be a Stealth Voter Suppression Tactic

Groups Taking Action:
NAACP Legal Defense Fund, ACLU LouisianaPower Coalition for Equity and Justice


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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FairMaps #PurcellPrinciple #LouisianaNews #VotingRightsAct #SCOTUS #USSupremeCourt


The post U.S. Supreme Court Stays 5th Circuit, Allowing Louisiana’s Fairer Congressional Maps – Apparently Invoking the Purcell Principle appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

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ADM for Oct. 7, 2022: Supreme Court Majority’s Questions Suggest it Will Uphold Alabama’s Redistricting Map Diluting the Black Vote https://www.americandemocracyminute.org/wethepeople/2022/10/06/supreme-court-majoritys-questions-suggest-it-will-uphold-alabamas-redistricting-map-diluting-the-black-vote/ https://www.americandemocracyminute.org/wethepeople/2022/10/06/supreme-court-majoritys-questions-suggest-it-will-uphold-alabamas-redistricting-map-diluting-the-black-vote/#respond Thu, 06 Oct 2022 15:31:31 +0000 https://www.americandemocracyminute.org/wethepeople/?p=635 From the American Democracy Minute Radio Report!

During our exploration of the Moore v. Harper case this week, a challenge to Alabama’s Congressional redistricting plan was heard in the U.S. Supreme Court.

In Merrill v. Milligan, voting rights groups challenged the legislature’s Congressional maps, saying it diluted the votes of Black voters.

The post ADM for Oct. 7, 2022: Supreme Court Majority’s Questions Suggest it Will Uphold Alabama’s Redistricting Map Diluting the Black Vote appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

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From the American Democracy Minute Radio Report!

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Photo Credit: Brennan Center for Justice

Today’s Links

Articles: 

SCOTUS Blog – Conservative justices seem poised to uphold Alabama’s redistricting plan in Voting Rights Act Challenge
Brennan Center for Justice – Merrill v. Milligan
Brennan Center for Justice – Annotated Guide to the Amicus Briefs in Merrill v. Milligan
SCOTUS Blog – When are majority-Black voting districts required? In Alabama case, the justices will review that question.
Groups Taking Action:
Campaign Legal Center, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, American Bar Association, Constitutional Accountability Center,  Southern Poverty Law Center, League of Women Voters AL, and Stand-Up Mobile.

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

During our exploration of the Moore v. Harper case this week, a challenge to Alabama’s Congressional redistricting plan was heard in the U.S. Supreme Court.

In Merrill v. Milligan, voting rights groups challenged the legislature’s Congressional maps, saying it diluted the votes of Black voters. Black Alabamians represent 27% of the population, yet have a realistic chance of electing a Black candidate in only one of seven Congressional districts. Alabama claims that it uses a “race-blind” approach, doesn’t violate Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, despite Alabama’s extensive history of discrimination against Black voters.

Analysis by Amy Howe of SCOTUS Blog suggests the court’s majority may uphold Alabama’s maps. Justice Alito cited an earlier ruling which requires that claims of diluting a vote on race can only be made if the population is large enough and sufficiently compact. Justice Kavanaugh suggested that the additional majority Black district proposed by challengers wasn’t compact enough to meet that standard.

Newly sworn-in Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson stated that the 14th & 15th amendments were “Trying to ensure that people who had been discriminated against … were actually brought equal to everyone else in society.”

The court’s decision has the potential of neutralizing one of the last remaining provisions of the Voting Rights Act.
More on the case and groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl

The post ADM for Oct. 7, 2022: Supreme Court Majority’s Questions Suggest it Will Uphold Alabama’s Redistricting Map Diluting the Black Vote appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

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