The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Jan. 18, 2024
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
Racing the clock, the Louisiana legislature meets this week to hash out new court-ordered Congressional voting districts, with two of them being majority Black. They’re also considering new state supreme court districts.
In November 2023, the Fifth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals ordered Louisiana’s legislature to draw new Congressional maps. In a state with an almost one-third African American population, Black voters demanded that they be given a second district to elect the candidate of their choice under the Voting Rights Act Section 2. Currently, only one of six Congressional districts is majority Black. GOP leaders attempted to block the decision, but ultimately were given until January 31 to pass new maps.
The Louisiana Illuminator reports newly sworn-in Governor Jeff Landry, a supporter of the current maps as attorney general, told the legislature it was out of legal options, and to pass new Congressional AND state supreme court maps with two majority-Black districts. The state supreme court districts in Louisiana have been litigated for decades.
Both maps passed out of their committees Tuesday. In calling the special session, Gov. Landry also asked the legislature to close the state’s primaries by prohibiting unaffiliated and third-party voters from participating, unless the parties decide to allow it.
The maps must be adopted before the end of the special session, January 23rd.
We have links to local reporting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
American Democracy Minute – Appeals Court (Finally) Finds Louisiana Congressional Map was Discriminatory; Orders New Maps to Be Drawn by January 15
Democracy Docket – 5th Circuit Sets Timeline for New Louisiana Congressional Map Ahead of 2024 Elections
Louisiana Illuminator – Both parties push for Louisiana’s second majority-Black congressional district
Louisiana Illuminator – Map with 2nd Black Louisiana Supreme Court district clears House committee
Associated Press – Proposed Louisiana congressional map, with second majority-Black district, advances
Louisiana Illuminator – How Gov. Jeff Landry is proposing to ‘close’ Louisiana’s primaries
Groups Taking Action:
NAACP Legal Defense Fund, ACLU Louisiana, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice
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