Courthouse Steps Decision: Louisiana v. Callais

About this episode

The episode discusses the Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which struck down Louisiana's congressional map for unconstitutionally relying on race.

In Louisiana v. Callais, the Supreme Court struck down Louisiana's congressional map, holding that the state had unconstitutionally relied on race in drawing district lines. The state's first map following the 2020 census contained one majority-black district, but the state redrew the map after a district court suggested that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act required the state to create two majority-black districts. The redrawn map was itself challenged, however, as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. On April 29, 2026, the Supreme Court issued a 6 - 3 decision ruling striking down the map. Louisiana had defended the map by arguing that it was required to consider race in order to comply with the Voting Rights Act, but the Court held that the VRA did not in fact require Louisiana to create an additional majority-minority district. Accordingly, no compelling interest justified the State’s use of race in creating the congressional map. Join us for a discussion of the decision and its implications going forward. Featuring: Bradley A. Benbrook, Founding Partner, Benbrook Law Group Prof. Michael R. Dimino, Professor of Law, Widener University Commonwealth Law School

People in this episode

Guests: Bradley A. Benbrook, Prof. Michael R. Dimino

Topics covered

• Supreme Court
• Voting Rights Act
• racial gerrymandering
• congressional map
• Louisiana v. Callais
• majority-black districts

Keywords

• Supreme Court
• Louisiana v. Callais
• Voting Rights Act
• racial gerrymandering
• congressional map
• majority-black district

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Benbrook Law Group, Widener University Commonwealth Law School

Places: Louisiana

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