Louisiana lawmakers moved one step closer to redrawing the state’s congressional map after a marathon overnight committee hearing advanced a Republican-backed proposal that would eliminate one of the state’s two majority-Black congressional districts, Louisiana Illuminator writes.
The plan, approved in a 4-3 party-line vote, comes just weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s current map as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.
Under the new proposal, the state would return to a single majority-Black district stretching from Baton Rouge to New Orleans, a shift that could pit Democratic U.S. Reps. Troy Carter and Cleo Fields against one another while improving Republicans’ odds of securing five of Louisiana’s six House seats.
The hearing drew hours of emotional public testimony, sharp partisan exchanges, and criticism from opponents who called the proposal a political power grab.
The full Senate is expected to take up the measure Thursday, with lawmakers facing a June 1 deadline to finalize new district boundaries ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Louisiana Illuminator has the full story.
