Alabama Republicans reject call for 2nd majority Black district, despite Supreme Court ruling

By KIM CHANDLER
Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama Republicans have rejected proposals to create a second majority Black voting district, despite an order from the U.S. Supreme Court to redraw congressional district boundaries. Lawmakers must adopt a new map by Friday. That comes after the high court in June affirmed a lower-court ruling that Alabama’s existing congressional map — with a single Black district — likely violated the Voting Rights Act. Republicans have been resistant to creating a second Democratic-leaning district. On Monday they proposed a map that would increase the percentage of Black voters in the 2nd congressional district from about 30% to 42%. Plaintiffs in the Supreme Court case had proposed a district that is 50% Black.