**SCOTUS Stay in *Abbott v. LULAC* (Dec. 4, 2025)**
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25a608_7khn.pdf
The Supreme Court has allowed Texas to use its new 2025 congressional map for the 2026 elections, granting a stay of a lower-court ruling that found the map likely to be an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.
A three-judge district court, after a nine-day hearing with extensive evidence, concluded that Texas had drawn districts predominantly on the basis of race, violating the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. The Supreme Court majority disagreed, saying the lower court failed to apply the presumption of legislative good faith and acted too close to an election cycle, risking disruption.
A concurring opinion framed the map as partisan rather than racial, emphasizing that challengers needed to show a viable race-neutral alternative. The dissent argued the Court improperly displaced the trial court’s thorough fact-finding and credibility assessments, which pointed strongly toward racial predominance.
The ruling comes amid a surge of mid-decade redistricting fights as states seek to reshape political maps before the 2026 midterms. Practically, the decision strengthens legislatures’ hands and makes judicial intervention less likely when challenges arise late in the election calendar.
*(Summary courtesy of ChatGPT)*
#SCOTUS #Texas #redistricting #votingrights #lawandpolitics
**My take:**
Decisions like this one undermine the legitimacy of the United States Supreme Court. That is an extremely unfortunate reality these days when we are faced with a presidential regime that daily demonstrates its fascist tendencies and agenda. Today, we need a strong system of separation of powers in government. Nevertheless, in our time, the Supreme Court's ultra-conservative majority appears to act mostly as a rubber stamp for the Trump administration's agenda.
As a lawyer, it hurts me to say such things about our Supreme Court. I believe in our United States system of government and law. However, while my assessment may seem cynical, I know how the game is played. It's disturbing. These days, I am simply a hell of a lot more skeptical than ever before of anything that comes out of the Supreme Court. I hope my trust will be restored someday.
Melissa
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