SCOTUS blocks creation of second Black majority Congressional district in Louisiana

The United States Supreme Court is blocking the creation of a second Black majority Congressional district from being created in time for the fall election.

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) - The United States Supreme Court is blocking the creation of a second Black majority Congressional district from being created in time for the fall election.

A stay issued today from Justice Samuel Alito blocks a ruling from Chief Judge Shelly Dick that the Congressional maps approved by the Louisiana legislature should include another majority Black congressional district.

Judge Dick has scheduled a hearing to be held on Wednesday to go over remedial Congressional maps after Louisiana lawmakers failed to approve a new map during a special session called by Governor John Bel Edwards.

In his ruling Wednesday, Justice Alito indicated the Louisiana case is on hold until the Supreme Court determines the fate of a similar situation in Alabama. The Supreme Court also blocked the creation of a second majority-Black congressional district in Alabama for the 2022 election.

Earlier this month Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin asked the Supreme Court to put Judge Dick's ruling on hold saying it “throws the election process into chaos, and creates confusion statewide.”

The Supreme Court is expected to take up the Alabama case this fall.