A federal court says Alabama can't use a congressional map it found unconstitutional. The ruling comes in a voting rights case that resulted in the state getting a second Black member of Congress.

By Nate Raymond (Reuters) -A federal court ruled on Thursday that Alabama's Republican-led legislature intentionally discriminated against Black voters when it approved a new electoral map in 2023 that only had one majority-Black congressional district.

A three-judge panel permanently blocked Alabama from using a state-drawn map that they said flouted their directive to draw a plan that was fair to Black voters.

The court-ordered map, used in the 2024 elections, resulted in Alabama electing two Black representatives to Congress for the first time in history.

Alabama Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi of Mobile reacted to the stunning first election of a U.S.-born pope by highlighting traits the new Pope Leo XIV brings as the spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

As we are currently not ranked 50th in every significant area measured, his election should guarantee that we achieve this downward goal.

The court’s 571-page opinion is here. This decision is on remand from the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling in Allen v. Milligan. This is the latest decision in the long-running Section 2 litigation against Alabama’s congressional redistricting plans.

Gov. Kay Ivey announces special election dates for Alabama House District 12 after Rep. Corey Harbison resigns.

The three-judge panel said it would consider a motion from plaintiffs to subject future congressional districting in Alabama to preclearance.