The ACLU of Louisiana calls yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling on the state’s congressional map “disgraceful.” The Supreme Court threw out the map, ruling it an unconstitutional gerrymander. Executive Director Alanah Odoms says it’s not just people of color who will suffer in the long run because of this ruling.
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In light of yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling, next month’s U.S. House primaries in Louisiana are now suspended until a new congressional map can be drawn. Political analyst Scott Hughes says once that happens, the process will need to start all over again; and with only six months to hold an election essentially from square one, that would make a closed primary untenable.
Legislative leaders say approving a new Congressional map in this regular session is possible. Jeff Palermo has the story.
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The timing of all this makes last October’s special session that much more consequential. That’s the session that adjusted the primary election dates. The Supreme Court ruling came down 18 days after the original primary date of April 18th. Had the dates not been changed, the current maps would have likely had to remain in place for the rest of the election cycle.