Alabama and Tennessee governors, on May 1, called to convene special sessions for lawmakers to review congressional maps after a landmark Supreme Court ruling that limits a section of the Voting Rights Act.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said she has called a special legislative session starting May 4 to address legislation to provide for “a special primary election for electing members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Alabama State Senate in districts whose boundary lines are altered by court action.”
“By calling the Legislature into a special session, I am ensuring Alabama is prepared should the courts act quickly enough to allow Alabama’s previously drawn congressional and state senate maps to be used during this election cycle,” Ivey said in a statement.
Alabama is currently using a court-ordered map that includes two majority-black districts out of seven. Following the Supreme Court’s decision on April 29, Alabama immediately filed emergency motions asking the court to allow it to revert to an older map with only a single majority-black district.
Meanwhile, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee called a special legislative session beginning May 5 to review the state’s congressional map, saying legislators must ensure districts “accurately reflect the will of Tennessee voters.”
“After consultation with the Lt. Governor, Speaker of the House, Attorney General, and Secretary of State, I believe the General Assembly has a responsibility to review the map and ensure it remains fair, legal, and defensible,” Lee said in a statement.
The Supreme Court on April 29 ruled Louisiana’s map creating a second black-majority district was unconstitutional, finding that race could not be used as the main factor in redistricting.
Reuters contributed to this report.
This is a developing story and will be updated with additional details.
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