Public Policy Update – April 30, 2026

Supreme Court Decision Could Reshape Congressional Map in the South

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana congressional map that created a second majority-Black congressional district in the state, significantly weakening Section 2 of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act in ways that will reverberate across the region.

There could be some immediate impact – Louisiana’s governor is reportedly planning to suspend his state’s May primaries in order to implement a new map – but the short-term effect in other states, where filing deadlines have already passed, is unclear. Punchbowl News reports that South Carolina and Tennessee, for example, could make changes this year, though that’s far from certain. However, the ruling definitely opens the door for states to make significant changes before the 2028 elections.

As the Associated Press reported, the decision “effectively gutted the Voting Rights Act’s requirement that districts be drawn to give minority voters a chance to elect representatives of their choosing.” About 70 congressional districts, largely represented by Black and Latino legislators, could be affected.

Treasury Department Announces ‘990 Transparency Initiative’

On April 23, the U.S. Treasury Department announced plans to revise Form 990 to “improve transparency, strengthen tax administration, and provide clearer reporting on certain activities of tax-exempt organizations described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, including government contracts, government grants, and fiscal sponsorship arrangements.”

The announcement comes after a February hearing of the House Ways & Means Committee, when some lawmakers raised the idea of changing Form 990 due to concerns around foreign influence in the charitable sector.

The announcement specifically noted concerns around fiscal sponsorships, claiming they “may be used to obscure who is operating a project, who controls project funds, and how those funds are being used.”

Once the Treasury Department and the IRS publish the proposed regulations, a public comment period will open. We will share more information about these regulations when they are released.