A special session of the Louisiana Legislature ended last June with lawmakers failing to sign off on a new congressional map for the state that included a second majority-Black district.
Almost a year later, a group of progressive activists gathered at the State Capitol Monday to decry that outcome, advocating for various measures they said would increase voting access for disabled Louisianans and people of color — access they say has not improved enough in recent years.
“I never thought that in 2023 I’d be fighting a fight that we fought over 50 years ago,” said Ashley Shelton, director of the Power Coalition, a progressive voting rights advocacy group.
Shelton was speaking in support of HB 449, a measure that aims to ease the path to the polls for people with disabilities.
The bill is one in a package of proposals that the Power Coalition, Voice of the Experienced and other grassroots groups are pushing in the 2023 legislative session, aiming to further reshape political representation in Louisiana following Republicans' victory in last year's redistricting process.
They also touted HB 380, a proposal to redraw district boundaries for Louisiana's seven state Supreme Court districts and create a second majority-Black district. Another measure in the package, SB 80, would require state officials to host roadshows to gather public input each redistricting cycle and to post new proposed maps to a state website.
The group also spoke in support of HB 538, which would establish a minimum number of early voting sites per parish based on landmass and population.
Gina Womack, executive director of the nonprofit Friends and Families of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children, said voting rights reform would allow voters a greater say in how the criminal justice system is run.
"When certain groups are disenfranchised, it can lead to an uneven distribution of power and a lack of representation for those who need it most," Womack said.
The legislative session began last Monday and runs through June.