Alabama Legislative Black Caucus v. Alabama

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

WILLIAM PRYOR, Circuit Judge:

The Alabama Legislature faced a difficult task in 2012. The Fourteenth Amendment requires state legislative districts of roughly equal population and prohibits racial gerrymandering. But the Voting Rights Act required Alabama to avoid retrogressing the ability of black voters to elect candidates of their choice. In other words, the legislature had to draw districts of roughly equal population that were conscious enough of race to comply with the Voting Rights Act, but not so conscious of race that they violated the Fourteenth Amendment.…