The battle between voters and lawmakers in Alabama will continue after residents alleged that the state’s revised congressional district map conflicts with the federal court rulings.

As REVOLT previously noted, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Black voters, who represent 27 percent of the state, on June 8. In their decision, the justices upheld a lower federal court decision. That ruling ordered Alabama to draw new congressional lines to create a second district where Black voters are the majority. According to the plaintiffs’ statement, the Republican-led society failed to abide by the Voting Rights Act. In the new map, lawmakers reportedly increased the percentage of Black voters from 31 percent to nearly 40 percent in the majority-white 2nd Congressional District. But they also decreased the Black voting-age population in the state’s only majority-Black district to 50.65 percent.

“The Alabama Legislature believes it is above the law,” the group said, per The Associated Press. “What we are dealing with is a group of lawmakers who are blatantly disregarding not just the Voting Rights Act, but a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court and a court order from the three-judge district court. Even worse, they continue to ignore constituents’ pleas to ensure the map is fair and instead remain determined to rob Black voters of the representation we deserve.”

The outlet noted that a federal appeals court scheduled a hearing for Aug. 14 to review the revised congressional map. However, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office claims the revised version abides by the court rulings. “The legislature’s new plan fully and fairly applies traditional principles in a way that complies with the Voting Rights Act. Contrary to mainstream media talking points, the Supreme Court did not hold that Alabama must draw two majority-minority districts,” a statement read. “Instead, the court made clear that the VRA never requires [the] adoption of districts that violate traditional redistricting principles.”

Rep. Chris England, a Black lawmaker from Tuscaloosa, shared that change in the southern state mostly happens when a federal court order is in place. “Alabama does what Alabama does,” he noted. “Ultimately, what we are hoping for, I guess, at some point, is that the federal court does what it always does to Alabama: forces us to [do] the right thing. Courts always have to come in and save us from ourselves.”