In a significant blow to Louisiana Republicans, a federal appeals court has refused to reconsider its ruling on the state’s congressional map. The court had previously given the Louisiana Legislature until January 15th to enact a new map after a lower court found that the current political boundaries diminish the power of the state’s Black voters.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request by Louisiana’s Republican secretary of state and other state officials to have a larger set of judges rehear the decision made by a three-judge panel on November 10th. The panel stated that if the Legislature fails to pass a new map by mid-January, then the lower court should conduct a trial and determine a plan for the 2024 elections.
The battle over Louisiana’s GOP-drawn congressional map has been ongoing for over a year and a half, with Republicans insisting that the current map is fair. However, the November congressional election revealed that the map has white majorities in five out of six districts, despite Black people accounting for one-third of the state’s population.
Democrats argue that the map discriminates against Black voters and advocate for the creation of two majority-minority districts. Currently, Republicans hold five out of the six districts, and a second mostly Black district could potentially deliver a congressional seat to Democrats.
Louisiana officials cited a recent decision by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in their petition for a new hearing before the 5th Circuit. The 8th Circuit’s ruling stated that private individuals and groups, such as the NAACP, do not have the ability to sue under a key section of the Voting Rights Act, potentially weakening protections under the landmark 1965 law.
The political and legal tug-of-war over Louisiana’s congressional map highlights the ongoing debate and power struggle between Republicans and Democrats in the state. With the court’s refusal to reconsider, the focus now shifts to the Legislature’s ability to come up with a new map that addresses concerns of voter dilution among the Black population.
The outcome of this battle will have significant implications for the 2024 elections in Louisiana and could potentially reshape the balance of power in the state’s congressional representation. As the fight for fair and equitable political representation continues, both parties will be closely watching the developments in this case.
