Alabama governor calls for special session on redistricting

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey called for the state’s legislature to meet in special session next week to revisit their congressional map, the latest fallout from a Supreme Court ruling this week limiting the Voting Rights Act. Ivey, a Republican, on Friday said she was hopeful the state would “receive a favorable outcome” from the Supreme Court, which could weigh in on legal challenges to Alabama’s congressional map after the justices invalidated Louisiana’s map earlier this week. On Thursday, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry postponed his state’s May 16 primaries for the House in light of the decision. By convening a special session, Ivey said the state would be able to respond when a ruling comes in from challenges to her own state’s districts. “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,” she said in a statement. “If the court-ordered injunction is lifted, Alabama would revert to the maps drawn by the Legislature for congressional districts in 2023 and state senate districts in 2021.” The decision to call a special session is a