The Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision in Louisiana v. Callais has dealt a devastating blow to the legacy of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. By severely limiting the ability to consider race in redistricting, the court’s conservative supermajority has cleared the way for rampant partisan gerrymandering and the intentional dilution of minority voting power. All voters are impacted, particularly those who may disagree with or desire to change the policies of the then governing legislative majority. The integrity of the voting process, which serves as the cornerstone of our democracy, is undermined.
This decision, combined with the extreme standard of proof of intentional discrimination required to invalidate rigged maps, and the prior overturning of Roe v. Wade reveal a court that has abandoned any pretext of impartiality. It is acting as an activist appendage to an ultra-right Trump agenda, not an independent, co-equal branch of government.
The rules of the game are being rigged by statehouses, and the Supreme Court is actively shielding them.
When the people can no longer trust the highest court to protect their most sacred right to vote, we cannot simply sit by. Significant changes have occurred and been required during national crises in our history, and another overhaul is necessary now.
To restore democracy and balance, Congress must act to:
• Institute term limits of 18 years for Supreme Court justices.
• Expand the court by adding two seats to remedy prior seat denials.
• Enact strictly enforceable ethics rules on gifts and financial conflicts of interest.
Democrats, when they take back Congress and win the presidency, must act quickly to enact these, and perhaps other, structural changes to this dysfunctional court.
