Supreme Court Strikes Down Louisiana Congressional Map

About this episode

The episode discusses the Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais and its implications for the Voting Rights Act.

On April 29, 2026, in Louisiana v. Callais, the Supreme Court invalidated a Louisiana congressional map, holding that racial considerations cannot predominate in the drawing of electoral districts. The ruling narrowed Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by requiring plaintiffs to show intentional discrimination, not just discriminatory effects. In this episode, we explore the Court’s 6-3 decision and what it means for the future of the Voting Rights Act with two leading election law scholars: Edward Foley of The Ohio State University and Michael Morley of Florida State University College of Law. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources Edward Foley, “The Supreme Court’s indefensible evisceration of the Voting Rights Act,” SCOTUSblog, May 5, 2026 Michael Morley, “Voting Rights Case Sets Stage for 2050’s Multiracial Democracy,” Bloomberg Law, May 6, 2026 Louisiana v. Callais (2026) Allen v. Milligan (2023) Robinson v. Ardoin (2022) Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee (2021) Shelby County v. Holder (2013) Thornburg v. Gingles (1986) Voting Rights Act (1965) National Constitution Center, “The Supreme…

People in this episode

Host: Julie Silverbrook

Guests: Edward Foley, Michael Morley

Topics covered

• Supreme Court
• Voting Rights Act
• racial gerrymandering
• election law
• Louisiana v. Callais
• legal analysis

Keywords

• Supreme Court
• Louisiana v. Callais
• Voting Rights Act
• racial gerrymandering
• election law
• Edward Foley
• Michael Morley

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: National Constitution Center

Books & works: The Supreme Court’s indefensible evisceration of the Voting Rights Act, Voting Rights Case Sets Stage for 2050’s Multiracial Democracy, The Supreme Court’s Callais decision sets new framework for racial gerrymandering, Voting Rights Classroom Resources, Elections and Voting in the Constitution, Voting Rights Act

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