Louisiana v. Callais 

On behalf of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, Public Rights Project filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court to defend the Voting Rights Act.

The brief was filed in a case challenging the constitutionality of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. This provision bans voting laws and practices that discriminate based on race. The state of Louisiana and a group of white voters argue that this protection is no longer needed.

In the brief, the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus explains why Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act must remain in place. Caucus members share first-hand experiences about the barriers that Black legislators and voters face in Louisiana. For example, several districts in Louisiana with significant Black populations are represented only by white elected officials who fail to respond to their communities’ needs.

The case centers on Louisiana’s 2024 congressional map, which includes the addition of a second Black-majority district after a federal district court found that the prior map violated the Voting Rights Act. The new map was designed to give Black voters a fairer chance at representation. The brief argues that the updated map follows the law and is critical at a time when efforts to weaken Black political power are on the rise.

The brief urges the court to reject the argument that Section 2 no longer needs to be enforced. Given the troubling and racist circumstances experienced by the caucus members, now is not the time to weaken protections for historically marginalized communities.