Court ruling on Black political power in Alabama could affect maps in other states

Evan Milligan, center, plaintiff in an Alabama redistricting case, speaks following Supreme Court oral arguments on Oct. 4, 2022. The court on Thursday ruled in favor of Milligan in the case, ordering the creation of a second Alabama congressional district with a large Black population. (Patrick Semansky/AP)

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama lawmakers have to redraw congressional district lines after a significant U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could affect political maps across the South for years to come.

In a 5-4 decision released Thursday, the justices upheld a key section of the Voting Rights Act as they found that a congressional map drawn by Alabama's Republican-controlled legislature after the 2020 census diluted the power of Black voters in a state where 1 in 4 residents is Black.