Louisiana Lawmakers Approve New Congressional Map

Louisiana legislators approved a new congressional map on Friday, removing one of the state’s two majority-Black districts. This action follows a recent Supreme Court decision rejecting the prior map as a racial gerrymander.

The Supreme Court ruling initiated a redistricting effort across southern states. Louisiana responded by drawing a map that changes the composition of the district affected by the court’s decision, decreasing the number of Black voters within it. The Republican-controlled Legislature’s actions aim to provide a structural advantage for their party ahead of the upcoming midterms.

The State Senate passed the new map with a 28 to 10 vote. The House vote echoed similar party-line divisions. Governor Jeff Landry, a Republican, is expected to sign the legislation. Consequently, primary elections for Louisiana’s six U.S. House seats have been delayed to November 3, occurring about six months later than other statewide primaries.

The district of Representative Cleo Fields, a Black Democrat, has been dissolved. Fields has yet to declare whether he will seek election in a new district that now favors Republicans.

The Supreme Court’s decision to invalidate Louisiana’s original map raised the difficulty of making discrimination claims under the Voting Rights Act. This law, established in 1965, aimed to protect the voting rights of minorities. The ruling has led Republican-led legislatures in the South to evaluate the reconfiguration of majority-Black districts.