Supreme Court Rules 6-3 in Louisiana v. Callais, Narrowing VRA Gingles Standard

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Louisiana v. Callais that Louisiana's second majority-Black congressional district was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. Justice Alito's majority opinion reworked the Thornburg v. Gingles framework in three ways: requiring plaintiffs' illustrative maps to meet partisan objectives, requiring proof that racial bloc voting cannot be explained by partisan affiliation, and demanding strong evidence of present-day intentional discrimination rather than historical effects. Alabama and other Southern states immediately invoked Callais to justify eliminating court-ordered Black opportunity districts.