By Jeff Devine, Dale County Chronicle
MONTGOMERY — Governor Kay Ivey has reversed course less than 24 hours after saying she would wait for the Supreme Court to hear Alabama’s filed cases regarding its map of Congressional Districts. On Friday afternoon, Ivey called a special session of the Alabama Legislature as Alabama’s high-stakes redistricting battle continues, following a recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that state leaders say could influence the outcome of ongoing litigation.
In a statement released Friday, Ivey described the court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais as encouraging, while emphasizing that Alabama remains under a federal court order blocking the use of newly drawn congressional maps until after the 2030 census.
“While we were not yet in position to call a special session earlier this week, I said we needed to keep up our fight in the courts,” Ivey said. “I remain hopeful Alabama will receive a favorable outcome from the U.S. Supreme Court, which is why I am now calling a special session of the Alabama Legislature.”
The move follows emergency motions filed by Steve Marshall asking the high court to lift injunctions preventing the state from using maps passed by lawmakers in 2023. Those maps were struck down by a federal panel that found they likely violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by diluting the voting strength of Black Alabamians.
As the Chronicle previously reported, the court ordered Alabama to adopt a revised congressional map that included a second majority-Black district, a significant change that reshaped representation and intensified the legal fight between state officials and civil rights groups. The federal court-mandated map reversed the 2021 map drawn by Alabama legislators, who are made up by a supermajority of Republicans, with the court saying the map clearly gerrymandered the districts in a manner that intentionally “diluted the voting power” of Black Alabama voters. In fact, the former map divided up the historic Black-majority regions and sliced them up to add to heavily Republican and white-majority regions.
While Black voters in Alabama are very diverse and are in no way monolithic, historically, they have overwhelmingly voted for Democratic candidates. “GOP lawmakers obviously want to take away as much of that power as possible, or they would not be so insistent on dividing up majority-Black communities,” one voting rights expert with the ACLU said.
Ivey said the special session is intended to ensure the state is prepared if the Supreme Court acts quickly to lift the injunction. If that happens, Alabama would revert to maps drawn by the Legislature following the 2020 census, including congressional districts approved in 2023 and state Senate districts approved in 2021.
“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.
The governor has also asked lawmakers to consider legislation establishing a special primary election for races impacted by any court-ordered changes to district lines, including elections for the U.S. House of Representatives and the Alabama State Senate. Ivey said she expects the session to conclude within five days.
The ongoing legal battle has drawn responses from members of Alabama’s congressional delegation, particularly those representing districts affected by redistricting.
U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, who represents the state’s 7th Congressional District, has consistently supported the court-ordered redraw, arguing it better reflects Alabama’s population and complies with federal law. Sewell has said the creation of a second majority-Black district is necessary to ensure fair representation for Black voters and to uphold protections guaranteed under the Voting Rights Act.
Meanwhile, Shomari Figures, who has been involved in discussions surrounding the newly drawn 2nd Congressional District, has emphasized the importance of maintaining a map that provides equitable representation and withstands legal scrutiny. Figures have pointed to the revised districts as an opportunity to expand voter participation and ensure communities are more accurately represented in Congress.
State leaders, however, have continued to defend the Legislature’s original maps, arguing Alabama officials are best equipped to determine district boundaries.
The dispute dates back to the redrawing of district lines following the 2020 census. Although Alabama retained its number of congressional seats, lawsuits quickly followed, with plaintiffs arguing the state’s maps failed to adequately represent Black voters, who make up more than a quarter of the population.
The outcome of the Supreme Court’s pending decision could have major implications for Alabama’s 2026 election cycle, including which maps are used and whether additional elections will be required. For now, lawmakers are preparing for multiple scenarios as the legal battle continues.
“As I continue saying, Alabama knows our state, our people, and our districts best,” Ivey said.
For our coverage on the Supreme Court ruling, click the link below:
