Louisiana lawmakers approved a new congressional map that eliminates one of two majority-Black districts, following a Supreme Court ruling striking down the previous map as a racial gerrymander. The map gives Republicans a potential fifth seat, but faces legal challenges from Democrats.
Louisiana lawmakers passed a new congressional map on Friday that is designed to give Republicans a potential fifth seat in the state's six-member U.S. House delegation, while reducing the number of majority-Black districts from two to one.
The vote came just weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the state's previous map as an illegal racial gerrymander. The new map, approved by the Republican-controlled state House and Senate, now heads to Governor Jeff Landry, who is expected to sign it into law. The map redraws the district of Democratic U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, clustering it around predominantly white communities in the Baton Rouge area and southern Louisiana, effectively diluting Black voting power.
It also adds a portion of Baton Rouge to the heavily Democratic, majority-Black district based in New Orleans represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Troy Carter. Democrats and civil rights groups have condemned the map, arguing that it still constitutes a racial gerrymander by packing Black voters into a single district. They vow to challenge the map in court.
The passage of the map is part of a broader trend in Southern states following the Supreme Court's decision. In Tennessee, Republicans quickly redrew districts to carve up a majority-Black district based in Memphis, aiming to gain an additional seat. In Alabama, Republicans are attempting to redraw two districts where Black residents make up a majority or close to it, currently held by Democrats.
The legal landscape remains uncertain as courts weigh the boundaries between partisan gerrymandering and illegal racial discrimination
Redistricting Louisiana Supreme Court Racial Gerrymander Voting Rights
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