Louisiana Republicans Present Maps to Eliminate Black-Majority House Districts
Louisiana Republicans unveiled controversial redistricting maps that would eliminate Black-majority House districts, sparking heated protests at the State Capitol.
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA — Tensions flared Friday as Louisiana Republican lawmakers unveiled new congressional redistricting maps that would eliminate one or both of the state’s majority-Black U.S. House districts, drawing hundreds of protesters to the State Capitol.
The Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee convened to review proposed boundaries for Louisiana’s U.S. House districts following a Supreme Court ruling that declared the current map an unconstitutional racial gerrymander against white voters. Committee sessions filled multiple overflow rooms as residents packed the hearing to voice opposition to the proposed changes.
Emergency Redistricting After Supreme Court Ruling
Committee chairman Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, R-Port Allen, called the hearing after Gov. Jeff Landry declared a state of emergency and suspended Louisiana’s May 16 U.S. House primary elections on April 30. The governor’s action came one day after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the state’s existing congressional map violated the Constitution.
Lawmakers indicated they would not begin voting on the new maps until at least next week, despite the compressed timeline created by the suspended elections.
Heated Exchange Over Absentee Ballots
The committee meeting quickly turned contentious when Sen. Gary Carter Jr., D-New Orleans, pressed Kleinpeter about the fate of absentee ballots already cast for the now-suspended May 16 primaries.
“Can you give the public certainty that those ballots will not be discarded?” Carter asked during his questioning.
Kleinpeter responded that Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry, who is not related to the governor, would be the appropriate official to answer questions about ballot handling, but noted she was not present at the hearing.
Carter continued his line of questioning, asking Kleinpeter if he was personally concerned about his own ballot status. “Have you voted yet?” Carter asked.
“I don’t have to answer that,” Kleinpeter responded, appearing surprised by the rapid-fire questions from Carter, who is typically known as soft-spoken.
NAACP Leader Restrained During Hearing
The atmosphere reached a breaking point when Mike McClanahan, the NAACP Louisiana state conference president, was restrained by sergeants-at-arms as he attempted to enter the committee room during the May 8 hearing.
The proposed redistricting maps represent a significant shift in Louisiana’s congressional representation, potentially reducing Black political influence in a state where African Americans comprise approximately one-third of the population. The current map includes two majority-Black districts out of six total House seats.
Public comment periods allowed residents to voice concerns about the redistricting process, though specific voting on the proposed maps has been delayed until next week as lawmakers continue to review the proposals and public input.
