Cite as: 599 U. S. ____ (2023)
1
J., concurringpart
KAVANAUGH
KAVANAUGH
, J., ,concurring
SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
_________________
Nos. 21–1086 and 21–1087
_________________
WES ALLEN, ALABAMA SECRETARY OF STATE,
ET AL., APPELLANTS
21–1086
v.
EVAN MILLIGAN, ET AL.
ON APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR
THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA
WES ALLEN, ALABAMA SECRETARY OF STATE,
ET AL., PETITIONERS
21–1087
v.
MARCUS CASTER, ET AL.
ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI BEFORE JUDGMENT TO THE UNITED
STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
[June 8, 2023]
JUSTICE KAVANAUGH, concurring in all but Part III–B–1.
I agree with the Court that Alabama’s redistricting plan
violates §2 of the Voting Rights Act as interpreted in
Thornburg v. Gingles, 478 U. S. 30 (1986). I write
separately to emphasize four points.
First, the upshot of Alabama’s argument is that the Court
should overrule Gingles. But the stare decisis standard for
this Court to overrule a statutory precedent, as distinct
from a constitutional precedent, is comparatively strict.
Unlike with constitutional precedents, Congress and the
President may enact new legislation to alter statutory
precedents such as Gingles. In the past 37 years, however,
Congress and the President have not disturbed Gingles,
even as they have made other changes to the Voting Rights
Act. Although statutory stare decisis is not absolute, “the
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