Supreme Court grants Alabama request to speed adoption of congressional map

The decision sends litigation back to a lower court as the state races to adopt a congressional map that would eliminate a majority-Black district and more heavily favor Republicans.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday removed an obstacle to Alabama’s using a new congressional map in this year’s election that would eliminate one of the state’s two majority-Black districts.

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The court, over the objection of its liberal members, sent litigation over the Republican-drawn map back to the lower court, which could speed up the state’s effort to use its map.

The state has been battling civil rights plaintiffs over its congressional map for years, with a focus on whether a second majority-Black district was required to comply with the 1965 Voting Rights Act.