ACS Condemns the Supreme Court's Decision Demolishing the Voting Rights Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nancy Rodriguez, [email protected]

Washington, DC - The American Constitution Society released the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais:

"Today's decision in Louisiana v. Callais is the latest effort of the Roberts Court to hollow out the Voting Rights Act (VRA) until nothing meaningful remains. For over a decade, the Court has hacked away at one of the most important and effective laws in American history, allowing gerrymandering to run rampant and slamming the courthouse door on voters of color seeking to vindicate their constitutional rights. The Court's conservative supermajority today continued this work, taking a hatchet to the last core provision of the VRA.

The majority opinion in Callais rewrites the rules of our political system and what it means to have a voice within it, in spite of the text and legislative history of the VRA and the Court's own longstanding precedent. With this decision, the Court's majority has stripped people of color of meaningful political power in a way that cannot possibly square with the Constitution.

The effects will be devastating for communities of color throughout the country. It will now be significantly harder for plaintiffs seeking to make real the promises of the Voting Rights Act to find justice in our courts. As we have seen in recent months, conservative state legislatures have proven willing to pursue naked partisan advantage through the redistricting process at the expense of minority representation. Today's decision will only add fuel to this raging fire.

But federal representation is the tip of the iceberg. Over half of all Section 2 cases are brought as challenges to local government districts that dilute the power of minority voters. The impact of today's decision will be felt at every level of government and make our democracy less representative of the people it purports to serve.

As Justice Kagan said in her powerful dissent, the Voting Rights Act "was born of the literal blood of Union soldiers and civil rights marchers. It ushered in awe-inspiring change, bringing this Nation closer to fulfilling the ideals of democracy and racial equality. And it has been repeatedly, and overwhelmingly, reauthorized by the people's representatives in Congress. Only they have the right to say it is no longer needed-not the Members of this Court. I dissent, then, from this latest chapter in the majority's now-completed demolition of the Voting Rights Act."

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AMERICAN CONSTITUTION SOCIETY The American Constitution Society is a 501(c)3 non-profit, non-partisan legal organization. Through a diverse nationwide network of progressive lawyers, law students, judges, scholars, advocates, and many others, our mission is to support and advocate for laws and legal systems that redress the founding failures of our Constitution, strengthen our democratic legitimacy, uphold the rule of law, and realize the promise of equality for all, including people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, and other historically excluded communities. For more information, visit us at https://www.acslaw.org.