In Louisiana voting case, US Supreme Court ponders a 'colorblind' Constitution

By Jan Wolfe

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -In deciding a major case examining the racial composition of electoral districts in Louisiana, U.S. Supreme Court justices are facing the question of whether the U.S. Constitution should be seen as colorblind – even when remedies are sought under civil rights law for racial discrimination.

That was the view offered during arguments on Wednesday by a lawyer for white voters who sued to block an electoral map approved by Louisiana lawmakers that increased Black voting power in the state after a judge found an earlier version likely harmed Black voters in violation of a landmark civil rights law.

At issue in the case is whether the state legislature had relied too heavily on race in devising the boundaries of U.S. House of Representatives districts in Lou