After a debate that lasted about eight hours, the Louisiana House approved a Congressional map that eliminates one of the state’s majority Black districts. The vote was 66-35. Every Black member of the House spoke in opposition of the legislation, including Opelousas Representative Dustin Miller.
Cut 12 (10) “…mean we should.”
New Orleans Representative Candace Newell says they also have other tools, just like the grassroots effort that led to the voting down of the five constitutional amendments on the May 16th ballot.
Black lawmakers have opposed this map every step of the way, but they did not have the votes to stop it from going to the governor’s desk.
The Republican-led Legislature drew the new map, because the U.S. Supreme Court said race played too much of a factor in the current map, which resulted in two majority-minority districts. Democrats said race should still be a factor in the drawing of a new map, but House Governmental Affairs Chairman Beau Beaullieu said that would lead to more litigation…
Democrats have said since Blacks make up a third of the Black voting population, Blacks should represent two of the state’s six Congressional districts for it to be a fair Congressional map. Beaullieu’s response…
It’s likely the Legislative Black Caucus or a voting rights group will file a lawsuit to prevent the map from going into effect after Landry signs the bill into law.