(AURN News) — Louisiana Republicans are moving forward after a recent Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for changes to the state’s congressional map, a decision critics say could weaken voting rights protections.
State lawmakers have approved a new congressional map that eliminates one of Louisiana’s two majority-Black congressional districts, a significant political shift in a state where Black residents make up nearly one-third of the population.
The redrawn map reshapes Rep. Cleo Fields, D-La., district, removing enough Black voters to give Republicans a stronger advantage heading into the midterm elections.
The battle began after the Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which found that Louisiana’s previous map relied too heavily on race, a ruling civil rights advocates warned could trigger a new wave of redistricting fights across the South. They say that process is already underway.
Meanwhile, confusion is spreading among voters because some ballots had already been cast before the district lines changed. Louisiana has delayed its congressional primaries until November as legal challenges continue.
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.
