The Supreme Court has weakened a landmark Civil Rights-era law that has increased minority representation in Congress and elsewhere. In a 6-3 ruling, the court's conservative majority Wednesday struck down a majority Black congressional district in Louisiana.
The decision opens the door for more redistricting across the country that could aid Republican efforts to control the House. U.S. Representative Richard Neal, a Springfield Democrat, says the Voting Rights Act, passed in 1965, changed American politics for the better.
"So this is a step backwards for sure and I think it will take some days, if not weeks to determine what the next steps are, considering that in the state of Illinois they've already had their primary for this election cycle," Neal said. "I think that there's going to have to be a better in-depth analysis based upon what the court actually had to say."
The effect of the ruling may be felt more strongly in 2028 because most filing deadlines for this year’s congressional races have passed.
Neal supportive of Baystate/Mercy deal
On Tuesday, Baystate Health announced it will be acquiring Mercy Medical Center in Springfield. Baystate already operates the largest hospital in the city. And the deal comes at a time when Mercy has been experiencing financial difficulties, which some speculated could have resulted in its closure.
Neal said it is essential that Springfield continues to have two hospitals in the city. But he also pointed out there still could be financial pressures for Baystate and other hospitals. That is because of the cuts to health care under the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” which passed last year.
"We're going to try hard to reverse those cuts, to ameliorate some of those cuts, but it is not good news for Baystate, Mercy or any other hospital across the country," he said.
Neal said both Baystate and Mercy rely heavily on federal reimbursements for care, which could become a further issue.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this story.
