Article Reflection No. 54 (6/10/2023)

(The New York Times)

Article: The Supreme Court’s Surprise Defense of the Voting Rights Act

Reflection:

According to Senate.gov, six out of the nine supreme court justices have been conservatives over the past years, with 74% right-leaning rulings as of 2022. In The New Yorker article “The Supreme Court’s Surprise Defense of the Voting Rights Act”, journalist Amy Davidson Sorkin details the unexpected Allen v. Milligan decision, Upholding a lower court ruling, this SCOTUS decision suggested that Chief Justice John Roberts had “spotted his limit” as the conservative majority have endeavored to “upend constitutional law”, according to Sorkin (Sorkin 1). Referring to preceding court cases such as the 1986 Thornburg v. Gingles case (which set an example for the interpretation of Section 2 when identifying biased representation), this article conveys the monumental importance of these redistricting cases as they can impact future elections—including the one next year.

The Supreme Court is an entity whose responsibility is bringing due justice in America. In Allen v. Milligan, I have to admit my personal surprise about the decision as well—a majority ruling needs five supporting justices, according to the National Constitution Center. With six right-leaning justices and three left-leaning ones, the proportions convey an advantageous former.