Mississippi governor says he will call special session to redraw district maps after SCOTUS ruling
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves on Friday said he will call a special legislative session to redraw district lines after the U.S. Supreme Court issues a ruling in a key redistricting...
By Fox News · Fox News
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves on Friday said he will call a special legislative session to redraw district lines after the U.S. Supreme Court issues a ruling in a key redistricting case. Reeves said the session would take place 21 days after the court rules in Louisiana v. Callais, a case that could reshape how states apply the Voting Rights Act . The case centers on Louisiana’s 2024 congressional map, which added a second majority-Black district and is being challenged as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The outcome could influence redistricting battles nationwide, particularly in Republican-led states, ahead of this year’s midterms. SCOTUS CONSERVATIVES SIGNAL READINESS TO CURB LATE-ARRIVING MAIL BALLOTS Reeves said the ruling could also affect a separate Mississippi case requiring the state to redraw its Supreme Court district lines. That lawsuit, filed by groups including the Southern Poverty Law Center and the American Civil Liberties Union, argues the current map dilutes the voting strength of Black voters in violation of federal law, according to WLBT. The state appealed the decision to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which paused the ruling pending the outcome of Callais. JUDGE SET TO CHOOSE NEW CONGRESSIONAL MAP IN FIGHT THAT COULD RESHAPE HOUSE CONTROL "It is my belief, and federal law requires, that the Mississippi Legislature be given the first opportunity to draw these maps," Reeves said on X. "And the fact is, they haven’t had a fair opportunity to do that because of the pending Callais decision." He added that he is using his authority to allow lawmakers to redraw maps once the Supreme Court provides clarity . "For those reasons, I am using my constitutional authority to allow the Mississippi Legislature to use their constitutionally recognized right to draw these maps once the new rules of the game are known following Callais," Reeves said. REPUBLICANS APPEAL JUDGE'S DECISION REJECTING NEW YORK CITY GOP DISTRICT LINES Reeves said the…