Uncertainty Looms After Judge Rejects Louisiana’s New Majority-Black Voting District

Source: CRobertson / Getty

Louisiana lawmakers are still fighting hard to keep the state’s second majority-Black House district from ever seeing the light of day.

Last week, three federal judges rejected a map drawn that contained a second majority-Black district. Gov. Jeff Landry and state Attorney General Liz Murrill both supported the map. 

The rejected map was drawn in January after a judge blocked a map from 2022 that only had one Black-majority district and five mostly white districts, in a state with a population that’s about one-third Black, according to AP. 

A group of Non-Black voters filed a lawsuit against the January map, calling it unconstitutionally drawn up with race as the main factor. Federal judges agreed 2-1 against the map.

The Louisiana judges now want the state legislation to draw a new map before this year’s election.

Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office has stated that the districts need to be in place by May 15 in perpetration for fall elections. 

Lawyers were given until Tuesday night to file a brief “explaining the feasibility of the Louisiana Legislature enacting a new Congressional map in time for the 2024 Congressional election” and “whether there is a legislative vehicle to enact a new congressional districting map during the 2024 regular session,” according to AP. 

If there is no map in place for fall elections, judges could impose a new map onto the state themselves. 

Black voters in Louisiana have long argued that the current congressional map discriminated against Black voters, who make up one-third of Louisiana’s population.

NEW: the GOP-led Louisiana Senate has passed a new congressional map that would create a second Black majority district, likely netting Dems a seat at the expense of #LA06 Rep. Garret Graves (R).

Map would protect Speaker Mike Johnson (R) #LA04 & Rep. Julia Letlow (R) #LA05. pic.twitter.com/6vKOETLwRq

— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) January 18, 2024

There are “white majorities in five of six congressional districts despite Black people accounting for one-third of Louisiana’s population,” the outlet noted. Currently, the sole majority-Black district, which covers a significant part of New Orleans and Baton Rouge, is represented by U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, who is the state’s solitary Black and Democratic member of Congress.

Carter recently criticized the ruling in a social post saying, “This is just plain WRONG.”

In October, Alabama residents were given a second majority-Black voting district after a federal court approved a fresh congressional map for the state’s southeastern region. This move aims to enhance representation for Black voters. 

Hopefully, Louisiana can follow in Alabama’s footsteps when it comes to redistricting, but uncertainty looms. 

SEE ALSO:

Alabama Gets Majority-Black Voting District After New Congressional Map Approved

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