WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 29, 2026) – The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the Western District of Louisiana’s decision that a recently redrawn legislative map may not be used in future elections (Louisiana v Callais).
“The now defunct map was drawn for one purpose only – race,” said J. Christian Adams, President of the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF).
“The Constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of race,” Adams continued. “This opinion should be placed alongside other great moments of courage from the high court – Brown v. Board, Loving v. Virginia, and Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.”
The issue before the Court was whether a legislature may draw a legislative map where the explicit purpose is to allocate legislative seats on the basis of skin color or race. In its opinion, the Court said, “Because the Voting Rights Act did not require Louisiana to create an additional majority-minority district, no compelling interest justified the State’s use of race in creating SB8. That map is an unconstitutional gerrymander.”
PILF filed an Amici curiae brief on behalf of itself and eight Louisiana legislators in support of the lower courts’ decision, stating no words in the Constitution were purchased with the staggering amount of blood and treasure as the Civil War Amendments. American lives and fortunes were destroyed so that the promise of equality before law could become law.
Supporters of the discriminatory map believed a judge had ordered this action. In fact, no such final judgment existed.
However, the legislative record includes audio and video recordings, transcripts, and statements made by key Louisiana political figures affirming the map was made to create a second majority-minority district.
According to the lower Court, “…considering the circumstantial and direct evidence of motive…the Court finds that racially motivated gerrymandering had a qualitatively greater influence on the drawing of the district lines than politically motivated gerrymandering.”
The Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) is the nation’s only public interest law firm dedicated wholly to election integrity. The Foundation exists to assist states and others to aid the cause of election integrity and fight against lawlessness in American elections. Drawing on numerous experts in the field, PILF seeks to protect the right to vote and preserve the Constitutional framework of American elections.
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