June 27th 2023.
The U.S. Supreme Court made a major ruling on Monday concerning Louisiana's House map. The court decided to allow the case to proceed to a lower court for review before next year's elections. This ruling raises the likelihood that state lawmakers will have to draw a second majority-Black Congressional district.
ABC News reports that a district judge previously ruled that the House map passed over Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards' veto, violated the Voting Rights Act and ordered a second majority-Black district to be created. Louisiana's top election official, Republican Kyle Ardoin, appealed this ruling, as he has been facing accusations that state Republicans are suppressing Black voters in Louisiana.
However, Louisiana Assistant Attorney General Angelique Freel stated that she will continue to fight for the original maps. She said, "Our job is to defend what the Legislature passed, and we trust the 5th Circuit will review the merits in accordance with the law.” The 5th Circuit is viewed as largely conservative and may not uphold the High Court's ruling.
Despite this, Democrats celebrated the decision. Washington Rep. Suzan DelBene, the chair of House Democrats' campaign arm, said in a statement, “Today’s Supreme Court order means the people of Louisiana are one step closer to achieving fair representation in Congress that better reflects the state’s diversity and reaffirms that the voices of Black voters matter.” Gov. Bel Edwards added that he is confident Louisiana will create a fair map that will support Black voters. He said, “Louisiana can and should have a congressional map that represents our voting population, which is one-third Black. As I have consistently stated, this is about simple math, basic fairness, and the rule of law. I am confident we will have a fair map in the near future.”
This case is part of a bigger issue in Southern states, where there is a long history of suppressing Black voters, which dates back to the Jim Crow Laws in the 1870s. In a separate case, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that Alabama’s House map puts too many Black residents into one congressional district, which dilutes their power relative to their share of the state population. This ruling was a major victory for civil rights activists, as it shows the court is taking steps to ensure that Black voters are being represented fairly.
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