Episode
Opinion Summary: Louisiana v. Callais | SCOTUS Writes a New Voting Rights Playbook
- Podcast
- The High Court Report
- Published
- May 4, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1506
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Summary
Louisiana v. Callais and Robinson v. Callais | Case Nos. 24-109 & 24-110 | Decided April 29, 2026 | Docket Link: Here and Here Overview: The Supreme Court struck down Louisiana's second majority-Black congressional district as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, overhauled the 40-year-old Gingles framework for vote-dilution claims, and reinterpreted Section 2 to demand a strong inference of intentional discrimination. Question Presented: Whether Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act required Louisiana to create a second majority-minority congressional district, justifying race-based redistricting under strict scrutiny. Posture: Three-judge district court struck down SB8; direct appeal to Supreme Court affirmed 6-3. Holding: Because the Voting Rights Act of 1965, 52 U. S. C. §10301 et seq., did not require Louisiana to create an additional majority-minority district, no compelling interest justified the State’s use of race in creating SB8, and that map is an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. Result: Affirmed and Remanded. Voting Breakdown: 6-3. Justice Alito delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett joined. Justice Thomas filed a concurring opinion, in which Justice Gorsuch joined. Justice Kagan filed a dissenting opinion, in which Justices Sotomayor and Jackson joined. Link to Opinion: Here . Majority Reasoning: (1) Section 2's "less opportunity" language entitles minority voters only to whatever chance any voter receives under the State's permissible nonracial criteria — nothing more; (2) The Fifteenth Amendment bars only intentional discrimination, so Section 2 imposes liability only upon a strong inference of intentional discrimination; (3) Updated Gingles preconditions now require…