The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for June 3, 2026
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed a new congressional district map May 29th, eliminating one of two Black majority districts by adding nearby conservative White majority voters. It’s the latest Black majority district to fall after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Callais decision.
Louisiana had previously created a second majority-minority district to comply with Voting Rights Act Section 2, but in April, the high court’s conservative majority neutralized Section 2 by banning use of race in redistricting. Louisiana is 31% African American, but had previously, and now has again, only one district where Black voters have a chance of electing the candidate of their choice.
The Louisiana Illuminator reports that while the GOP legislators leading the gerrymandering effort considered eliminating both districts, they concluded it was not possible to create a map where the GOP would win all six districts, and settled on the 5 to 1 map.
The Associated Press quoted bill sponsor Republican State Senator Jay Morris as saying, “I purposely put more Democrats into District 2 to make the remaining districts better performing for Republicans.” Under the 2019 Rucho v. Common Cause decision, the U.S. Supreme Court allows state legislatures to gerrymander for partisan but not racial reasons. Challenges to the map are likely.
We have the new map and local reporting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Louisana Illuminator – Louisiana congressional map boosting Republicans nears final passage
Louisiana Illuminator – Litigation looms as Louisiana Legislature approves new congressional map
SCOTUSBlog – Louisiana v. Callais (Voting Rights Act)
U.S. Supreme Court – Opinion in Rucho v. Common Cause
Related ADM Reports:
American Democracy Minute – Louisiana’s Racial Gerrymandering Defense to SCOTUS Switches from ‘It was for Partisan Reasons’ to ‘The VRA is Unconstitutional’
American Democracy Minute – U.S. Supreme Court Neutralizes Remaining VRA Section 2 Protections for Minority Voters and Imperils Majority-Minority Voting Districts Nationwide
Groups Taking Action:
League of Women Voters, Legal Defense Fund, ACLU LA
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State
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