Supreme Court deals another blow to Voting Rights Act
4/29/202619 min
In a landmark ruling Wednesday, the Supreme Court effectively gutted the Voting Rights Act. We discuss what the ruling could mean for Black representation — not just in Congress but at all levels of government.
This episode: voting correspondents Miles Parks and Hansi Lo Wang and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson.
This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye.
Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsTom Bowman0:00
Every day, NPR reports stories that keep you informed without fear or favor. That's the promise of a free press in a democracy. It's in the First Amendment. I'm Tom Bowman, and I cover the Pentagon for NPR. Stand up for independent news coverage today by donating early for Public Media Giving Days, coming up on May 1st and 2nd. Give now at donate.npr.org.
Miles Parks· Host0:23
[upbeat music] Hey there, it's the NPR Politics Podcast. I'm Miles Parks. I cover voting.
Hansi Lo Wang· Co-host0:32
I'm Hansi Lo Wang. I also cover voting.
Mara Liasson· Panelist0:34
And I'm Mara Liasson, senior national political correspondent.
Miles Parks· Host0:37
Today on the show, a landmark Supreme Court ruling out today that all but guts the Voting Rights Act. It could have a huge impact on Black representation. Hansi, you've been following this case closely. Explain what the court ruled today.
Hansi Lo Wang· Co-host0:51
Well, this is a ruling by the Supreme Court's conservative majority, and it weakens the Voting Rights Act's protections against racial discrimination in redistricting, and the ruling comes out of specifically a case about Louisiana's congressional map, and, but it's important to point out this will affect redistricting around the country at all levels of government. You know, what the Court ruled today specifically was that the second majority Black congressional district that a lower federal court had ordered Louisiana's legislature to draw to get in line with the Voting Rights Act, the Supreme Court ruled that that was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. And this