NYS State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, Chair of the Elections Committee, on the Louisiana v. Callais Supreme Court Ruling

New York State Senator Kristen Gonzalez (SD-59), Chair of the Senate Committee on Elections released a statement following the Supreme Court’s ruling on Louisiana v. Callais. The decision is being regarded as “the groundwork for the largest reduction in minority representation since the era following Reconstruction” (Justice Kagan in her dissent), and a disgrace to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 

Senator Gonzalez said, 

“Today, the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in their ruling on Louisiana v. Callais. This is a devastating blow to our democracy, a serious threat to the civil rights of every minority group seeking equitable representation, and comes after years of systemic efforts to disenfranchise voters of color nationwide. As Justice Kagan wrote in her dissent, this decision means that “a State can, without legal consequence, systematically dilute minority citizens’ voting power.”

I have seen firsthand the power that states have in protecting election integrity and preserving our democracy, as Chair of the Senate Committee on Elections. New York has led in expanding ballot access from passing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act in 2022, to implementing some of the strongest election laws in the country. We intend on continuing this work. 

The Civil Rights movement has taught us that the future of our democracy is not determined by any one law or court ruling, but by our willingness to build multi-racial working class movements and organize nationwide. I’m proud to work with a coalition of organizations to ensure that every New Yorker, regardless of race, has a place in our democracy.”

Media Contact: Kat Deus Veloso | veloso@nysenate.gov