We’ve been fighting for fair maps for over four years. We thought we had won, but you may have heard this week that the map with a 2nd Black Majority district was overturned. Here is what happened:
On January 15, 2024 a special redistricting session began in the Louisiana state legislature to create new congressional districts in advance of 2024 presidential elections. This redistricting session was a response to a federal judge and an appeals court ruling that the state’s congressional plan likely violated the Voting Rights Act.
On January 19, 2024, Louisiana lawmakers approved a new congressional map that created a second Black-majority U.S. House District. Before the most recent map had been established, Black voters in Louisiana only possessed a majority in just one of the state’s six congressional districts, despite making up nearly a third of the statewide population. The map, signed by the governor, increased the percentage of Black voters in Louisiana’s 6th Congressional District from 23 percent to 54 percent, empowering Black voters with a majority in the district and creating a second majority-minority district.
What Happened?
12 days later, on January 31st, a group filed a lawsuit against the newly map signed into law (Callais v. Landry), challenging the map under the 14th Amendment claiming racial gerrymandering.
The three panel judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and struck down the new congressional map. This leaves Louisiana without settled congressional maps, 6 months before the November elections, which poses a major roadblock.
On Tuesday April 30th two judges appointed by former President Donald Trump (Judge David C. Joseph and Judge Robert R. Summerhays) authored the majority opinion which ultimately struck down the new congressional map that contained two-minority majority districts in the state of Louisiana.
This major roadblock leaves Louisiana without a finalized map just six months before the November Elections. The two judges of the three judge panel found the map approved by the Louisiana Legislature and signed into law by Governor Landry to be “an impermissible racial gerrymander in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.” Of the three judge panel one judge who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton was in favor of the proposed map.
This ruling will put Louisiana in a complicated position, especially because the newly elected Secretary of State Nancy Landry has stated she will need a new map by May 15th in order to have them in effect for the November congressional elections.
What’s Next?
On May 6th, 2024 the panel will convene for a status hearing to discuss the remedial process of drawing a map in time for the November elections. The judges will share what next steps will look like and likely set a deadline for drawing a revised map. An appeal has already been filed with the Supreme Court by Black voters and civic organizations.