Commentary: The Error Of Louisiana V. Callais. By: Reverend Dr. Rickey Nelson Jones, Esq.
The following commentary was written and submitted to Report Annapolis News by Reverend Dr. Rickey Nelson Jones, Esq., the Interim President & Organizer for National Action Network, Anne Arundel County: No doubt, most people will not give the time needed to read the 36-page decision in the United States Supreme Court’s 2026 Case of Louisiana v. Callais. For civil rights attorneys, this is not surprising. However, for us, it is our duty to read it. Upon a close reading, you understand why judges, at times, miss the “heart” of a matter. While the court, in a detailed and historical manner, elaborated on the basis for its decision, namely, race cannot be a compelling reason for applying Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, it did find that applying the legal test of “strict scrutiny” to state action is proper when dealing with voting rights. Nonetheless, the historical basis upon which its’ decision rests to eliminate race as a compelling reason for applying Secti...
