Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Friday he will call a special legislative session on judicial redistricting after the U.S. Supreme Court rules in Louisiana v. Callais, a Voting Rights Act case with implications far beyond Mississippi. He said the Legislature will meet 21 days after the court issues its decision.
Reeves signed the special session proclamation on Thursday and wrote that the delay in a ruling had deprived the Mississippi Legislature of its undisputed federally recognized right to remedy the Section 2 violation. He also said in a social media post that he hoped the court will reaffirm the animating principle that all Americans are created equal.
The timing matters because a decision in Louisiana v. Callais is expected before the Supreme Court’s term ends in June, and Mississippi is waiting on that ruling before moving ahead. Last August, a federal judge ordered the state to redraw its Supreme Court electoral map after finding it violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by diluting the power of Black voters.
Louisiana v. Callais has drawn national attention because it could reshape how states and local governments draw voting maps. During oral arguments last fall, the Supreme Court appeared poised to strike down Section 2, a provision long used to challenge election maps that weaken minority voting strength. If the court does that, state legislatures and local governments would have wider room to redraw districts while limiting the ability of minority voters to challenge them.
For Mississippi, the next step is now tied to the court’s calendar. If the justices issue their ruling in June, the Legislature would be set to convene for the special session 21 days later and begin the work a federal judge already ordered the state to do.
