Alabama Legislature Defies Court Order with Controversial Redistricting Maps

The Alabama legislature, led by Republicans, has passed two competing congressional maps that Democrats argue do not comply with a federal court order to create two districts with a close-to-majority Black population. The court had previously found that Alabama's districts unlawfully diluted the political power of Black residents. The legislature has until Friday to come up with a new map that meets the court's requirements. National voting rights advocates criticized the proposed maps, and it is possible that the court could reject them and draw its own plan. Some analysts speculate that Republicans would prefer a court-imposed plan to avoid a Black-majority district on their voting record.