The Supreme Court’s weakening of the Voting Rights Act has implications for West Virginia communities, according to clergy members in the state.

In a 6-3 ruling last month, justices determined Louisiana’s creation of a second majority-Black district to comply with the federal law was unconstitutional. Critics argued the decision is a blow to decades of civil rights work, even in states that are not immediately affected by the ruling.

Doug Dyson, executive director of the West Virginia Council of Churches, said gerrymandering can leave communities without meaningful representation.

“We have seen gerrymandering happen to the point where it's become entire racial groups have no voice,” Dyson said.

Louisiana lawmakers will now have to redraw state maps, which are likely to be unfavorable for Democrats and less representative of Black voters.

Most states rely on their state Legislatures to draw and approve district lines. That system allows politicians to influence the boundaries of the districts they run in, a practice known as partisan gerrymandering. Some states have pushed to give map-drawing powers to independent commissions.

Dyson said people should remember the interconnectedness of society despite political tensions.

“We live in a society that villainizes the other, creates a divisive, polarized ‘us and them,’ winner and loser, and I think that our faith calls us to a better place, to stand in the gap,” Dyson said.

According to the Redistricting Report Card project run by Princeton University, West Virginia’s congressional maps are more fair than most, but they still have some partisan bias. The state’s current maps will remain in place through the 2032 election cycle.

Support for this reporting was provided by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Source: Public News Service