The Supreme Court invalidated Louisiana’s latest congressional map, ruling that lawmakers used race to carve out a second majority‑Black district in a way that violated the Equal Protection Clause. The 6‑to‑3 decision arrives amid a national debate over the relevance of the Voting Rights Act in an era of expanded minority turnout for legislators today.

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. framed the ruling as a recalibration of the 1986 framework, arguing that historic gains in registration have eroded the need for race‑centric districts. He demanded plaintiffs present a “strong inference” that lawmakers intended to deny minority voters political influence, a standard that many challengers find prohibitive for the law.

Republican lawmakers seized the ruling to trim a second majority‑Black district, with Florida’s legislature approving a new map the same day. The decision is expected to tilt mid‑term dynamics, as parties scramble to redraw districts that no longer must satisfy the Voting Rights Act’s race‑based criteria.

Civil‑rights advocates warn the ruling undermines minority voting power. NAACP Legal Defense Fund chair Janai S. Nelson called the decision “a day of loss of any remnant credibility” for the Court. With new litigation likely, lawmakers face a tighter legal bar on using race to shape electoral maps.