NEW ORLEANS — Distinct minority groups cannot join together in coalitions to claim their votes are diluted in redistricting cases under the Voting Rights Act, a divided federal appeals court ruled Thursday, acknowledging that it was reversing years of its own precedent. At issue was a redistricting case in Galveston County, Texas, where Black and Latino groups had joined to challenge district maps drawn by the county commission. Circuit Court of Appeals initially upheld the decision before the full court decided to reconsider the issue, resulting in Thursday’s 12-6 decision. “Nowhere does Section 2 indicate that two minority groups may combine forces to pursue a vote dilution claim,” Jones, nominated to the court by former President Ronald Reagan, wrote. “To reach its conclusion, the majority must reject well-established methods of statutory interpretation, jumping through hoops to find exceptions,” Douglas wrote.

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Persons: Edith Jones, ” Jones, Ronald Reagan, “, ”, Dana Douglas, Joe Biden, ” Douglas Organizations: Circuit, Supreme, Democratic, Republican, “, Union Locations: Galveston County , Texas, New Orleans, Texas , Louisiana, Mississippi, Galveston