Louisiana advances congressional map with reduced Black representation

Source: msn/Axios

10h


Louisiana senators voted early Wednesday to advance a congressional map that eliminates one of the state's majority-Black districts.

Why it matters: The proposed map pits U.S. Rep. Troy Carter against U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields for their seats, which are currently in two different districts, writes Piper Hutchinson of the Louisiana Illuminator.

The latest: Senate committee members stayed up overnight to hear hours of testimony from residents about the proposals.

The nearly 10-hour meeting ended around 4:30am Wednesday, Hutchinson writes.

The full Senate is expected to vote Thursday on the bill, before sending it to a House committee next week.

Gov. Jeff Landry says a new map is needed before U.S. House races can move forward. He suspended those elections April 30 after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the Callais case.

Lawmakers are racing to approve the new map before the legislative session ends June 1.