Montgomery, Ala.— Alabama officials are taking action at the nation’s highest court following a recent ruling tied to congressional redistricting.
Attorney General Steve Marshall filed three emergency motions with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to lift injunctions that block Alabama from using its 2023 congressional map. The filings come in response to the court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which addressed how race and politics are considered in redistricting challenges.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, the motions were filed in three ongoing cases and ask the court to vacate lower court injunctions and allow Alabama to move forward using its map. The filings also request the cases be expedited and reconsidered under the legal standard outlined in the Callais decision.
Marshall said the ruling makes clear that race and politics must be evaluated separately in these cases.
“The Supreme Court has now made clear that you cannot assume race and politics are the same thing, you have to actually show they’re separate,” Marshall said. “Because the lower court’s injunction cannot stand in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling, we have asked the court to lift the injunction. Alabama deserves the right to use its own maps, just like every other state.”
Governor Kay Ivey voiced her support for the move, praising both Marshall and Secretary of State Wes Allen for acting quickly.
“I applaud Attorney General Steve Marshall and Secretary of State Wes Allen for quickly filing emergency motions at the Supreme Court regarding Alabama’s redistricting case,” Ivey said. “As I have said time and again, Alabama knows our state, our people and our districts better than the federal courts or activists group. I remain hopeful that Alabama receives a favorable ruling from the Supreme Court.”
The outcome of the motions could determine how Alabama’s congressional districts are drawn moving forward, as legal challenges over the state’s map continue.
