Emergency protests in Montgomery on Monday and Tuesday
Gov. Ivey is moving to act on the Callais decision.
There are two protests (so far) in Montgomery this week, one on Monday starting at 2:00 p.m. and also a group going up early on Tuesday, arriving in Montgomery around 10:00 a.m. Transportation is being arranged by Stand Up Mobile. If you want to carpool on Monday or ride the bus on Tuesday, please fill out this interest form.
The recent Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais deals what is likely to be a final blow to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and Governor Kay Ivey has called a special session of the Alabama Legislature to take advantage of the moment.
The Callais decision reverses the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling in Allen v. Milligan which found that Alabama’s plans to redraw its Congressional districts violated the Voting Rights Act. (Conservative justices John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh voted with the majority, with Roberts writing the opinion.)
What changed in just three short years? Only the occupant of the White House. 😠
Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen and Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall are also eager to undo the Court’s 2023 injunctions and have filed emergency motions to, as Marshall said, “allow Alabama to pursue congressional maps that reflect the will of the people.”
What he means, of course, is the will of Republicans. Except that WE are the people of Alabama too. And we know racial discrimination and disenfranchisement when we see it.
And so we are going to the state capital to let the legislature know that we will not allow them to turn back the clock on the voting rights that people fought and died for. Please watch this space for more details.