300: SCOTUS 86s Voting Rights
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The Supreme Court's decision in *Calais v. Louisiana* has delivered a devastating blow to the Voting Rights Act, effectively gutting Section 2 by ruling that remedying racial discrimination through redistricting violates the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. In a 6-3 opinion authored by Justice Samuel Alito, the Court dismissed the idea that race-conscious redistricting to create majority-minority districts is permissible—even when such districts are necessary to ensure Black voters have a meaningful opportunity to elect their preferred candidates. The dissent, led by Justice Elena Kagan, called the decision a 'dead letter' for the Voting Rights Act, arguing it was born of the blood of civil rights marchers and Union soldiers, and that Congress—not the Court—should decide its fate. The ruling marks the latest in a series of conservative Court decisions undermining voting rights, echoing the dismantling of Section 5 in *Shelby County v. Holder*. Meanwhile, the episode also scrutinizes the politically charged indictment of James Comey over a seashell photo that spelled '86-47'—a reference to President Biden—calling it a baseless, vindictive prosecution. The White House Correspondents' Dinner attack and the DOJ’s absurd motion to dismiss a historic preservation case in favor of the White House ballroom further expose the erosion of institutional integrity.
The Supreme Court ruled that race-conscious redistricting to create majority-minority districts violates the 14th Amendment, effectively nullifying Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
Justice Kagan’s dissent calls the Voting Rights Act a 'dead letter' and argues the Court has undermined a Reconstruction-era law meant to protect Black voting rights.
The Court’s decision ignores the distinction between intent and effect, making it nearly impossible to prove racial discrimination in voting even when outcomes are clearly skewed.
The indictment of James Comey over a seashell photo spelling '86-47' is widely seen as a politically motivated, selective prosecution with no basis in the current legal standard for 'true threats'.
The DOJ’s motion to dismiss a historic preservation case over national security grounds was deemed a transparent political stunt, reflecting 'Trump derangement syndrome' and violating legal ethics.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Opening: A Week of Democratic Erosion
The hosts open with a somber reflection on a tumultuous week, setting the tone with three major topics: the Supreme Court’s devastating blow to the Voting Rights Act, the re-indictment of James Comey over a seashell photo, and the aftermath of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner attack. They share personal moments of joy—King Charles’s visit, a barre class, and old movies—to contrast with the gravity of the news.
The Calais v. Louisiana Decision: A Death Knell for Voting Rights
“The Court is willing to totally ignore that and look at white voters who've never been discriminated against. And just to say, you poor people having a second district where black people have an opportunity, not a lock by the way, an opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice. Even though they're 30% of the population... that's discriminatory.”
Alito’s Opinion and the Gaslighting of the Constitution
“They actually wrote that in the opinion and five, count them, five justices signed on. And to boot, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch were just like, yeah, we would have gone further and just like said that you can never allow for redistricting as a remedy for racial gerrymandering.”
Justice Kagan’s Powerful Dissent: A Future Vision
“The Voting Rights Act is or now more accurately was one of the most consequential, efficacious and aptly justified exercises of federal legislative power in our nation's history.”
The Comey Indictment: A Political Stunt, Not a Crime
“If James Comey said 18747, I'd been like, oh, Comey, you shouldn't have done that. Like, that's crazy. But he didn't do that. He didn't post that.”
“The Voting Rights Act is or now more accurately was one of the most consequential, efficacious and aptly justified exercises of federal legislative power in our nation's history.”
“the court is willing to totally ignore that and look at white voters who've never been discriminated against. And just to say, you poor people having A second district where black people have an opportunity, not a lock by the way, an opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice. Even though they're 30 of the population as Barb”
“They actually wrote that in the opinion and five, count them, five justices signed on. And to boot, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch were just like, yeah, we would have gone further and just like said that you can never allow for redistricting as a remedy for racial gerrymandering.”
Host
joyce vance
person
kim atkins-store
person
barb mcquaid
person
jill wine-banks
person
james comey
person
calais v. louisiana
other
pocket hose
brand
samuel alito
person
elena kagan
person
iq bar
brand
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