Merrill v. Milligan to be heard at the Supreme Court ahead of Robinson v. Ardoin.

Amicus brief in support of the plaintiffs in Robinson v. Ardoin filed in a similar case from Alabama Merrill v. Milligan

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay on the case of Robinson v. Ardoin while the Supreme Court considers a similar case from Alabama, Merrill v. Milligan. That case will go to oral argument October 4, 2022.

The plaintiffs provide response to the emergency stay request with the Supreme Court. Litigation in the case of Robinson v. Ardoin begins at all three levels of the court. U.S. District Court hearing for the Remedial Process scheduled for June 29, 2022 in Baton Rouge.

Redistricting Roadshows start. Power Coalition starts Redistricting mini-grants, Redistricting coffee chat trainings, Redistricting community dinners, and Faith-Based Teach-In Trainings. These events spanned across the state of Louisiana and some were held virtually.

Power Coalition continues to prepare the community for conversation around redistricting by hosting Redistricting Crowd Academies.

Three Redistricting Fellows brought on to the Power Coalition team to help train and engage the community.

Redistricting Academies held. Power Coalition started working around the state to train legislators and our communities on fair and equitable redistricting and representation.

Census begins being collected. Power Coalition ran a year-long, statewide Count Me In campaign to get every person and community counted. The Count Me In campaign started before the COVID-19-related shutdowns occurred. The original campaign integrated in-person events, in-person canvassing, phone and text banking, as well as a robust digital campaign. With the stay-at-home order beginning in March, we quickly moved to a virtual campaign with targeted ads, text messages, phone banking, mailers, and a robust social media campaign that provided accurate, reliable and easy-to-understand information about the census.

The Senate hears SB 3 by Senator Ward proposing two majority Black districts. Senator Ward pulls SB 3 after realizing a compromise cannot be met. Legislative Special Session adjourns early without creating a new map as ordered by the court. Five different bills filed would have created two majority-minority districts. Only one was reported from the committee.

Senate Bill 2, Senator Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell

Senate Bill 3, Senator Rick Ward, R-Port Allen

House Bill 4 by Representative Barry Ivey, R-Baton Rouge

House Bill 3 by Representative Barry Ivey, R-Baton Rouge

House Bill 2 by Representative Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzales

House Bill 1 by Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans

HB 1, 2, 3 & 4 are introduced.

The Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives gave members the day off. Filed motion to ask the federal judge for a 10-day extension to redraw Louisiana’s congressional districts to meet the court-ordered deadline of June 20, 2022. Judge Shelly Dick denied the request for more time to submit new congressional districts.

The Louisiana Legislature met to start the Special Redistricting Session. The Senate hears SB 1 by Senator Fields. The House introduces four map bills in committee– HB 1, 2, 3, and 4.  

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated its administrative stay of the federal district court’s decision overturning the state’s congressional map and denied motions to stay the district court’s decision pending appeal.

Anticipated ruling in the case of Merrill v. Milligan

Gov. John Bel Edwards called a special session, June 15 through June 20, of Louisiana’s Legislature to redraw Louisiana’s Congressional district maps with two majority Black districts, as required by the ruling of the U.S. Court for the Middle District of Louisiana.

Judge Shelly Dick of the U.S. Middle District Court of Louisiana struck down the congressional district boundaries that Louisiana enacted on March 30, 2022 when the state legislature overrode Gov. John Bel Edwards. The State Legislature ordered to produce a revised map of the state’s six congressional districts by June 20, 2022. Also directed the state to extend the filing deadline for House candidates, originally set for June 22, and adjusted to July 8. 

Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin appealed the district court’s decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Arguments wrapped up at the Middle District Court of Louisiana in the fight to challenge Louisiana’s congressional map.

Civil rights groups turn to the federal court in what will be a five-day long hearing to block the enacted congressional maps.

Civil rights groups and Black Louisiana voters filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the state’s new congressional map as a violation of the Voting Rights Act.

The Louisiana legislature overrode Gov. Edwards’s veto of the state’s new congressional maps.

Governor John Bel Edwards vetoes the congressional redistricting map drawn by Louisiana’s Legislature because it does not add a second majority-minority district. He also announced he would not sign the state House and Senate district maps passed in the redistricting session, allowing them to become law without his approval.

The state legislature relies on Census data, public input, and experts to draft district maps Hearings are held on proposed district maps The legislature votes on maps

Make your voice heard when your legislators draw political districts!

The US Census Bureau collects population data once every decade.