Legislators ask more time to comply with redistricting order
2 years, 6 months ago

Legislators ask more time to comply with redistricting order

Associated Press  

Louisiana’s legislative leaders are asking for at least 10 more days to comply with a federal judge’s order to redraw congressional districts so two have Black majorities. Also Tuesday, a federal appeals court scheduled arguments July 8 about Judge Shelly Dick’s ruling that the current districts violate the Voting Rights Act. “There are 144 legislators in the State Legislature, and each has different ideas of how a redistricting plan should be configured,” the legislative leaders argued. “The current remedial schedule would compel the Legislature to redistrict behind closed doors, without meaningful public input, and without opportunity to respond to that input,” said a statement by Cortez.

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History of this topic

Mississippi can wait to reset legislative districts that dilute Black voting strength, judges say
5 months ago

Mississippi can wait to reset legislative districts that dilute Black voting strength, judges say

Hindustan Times  

— Mississippi can wait until next year to redraw some of its legislative districts to replace ones where Black voting power is currently diluted, three federal judges said Thursday. Mississippi can wait to reset legislative districts that dilute Black voting strength, judges say The decision updates a timeline from the judges, who issued a ruling July 2 that found problems …

Mississippi can wait to reset legislative districts that dilute Black voting strength, judges say
5 months ago

Mississippi can wait to reset legislative districts that dilute Black voting strength, judges say

Associated Press  

— Mississippi can wait until next year to redraw some of its legislative districts to replace ones where Black voting power is currently diluted, three federal judges said Thursday. Attorneys for the NAACP, who sued the state, argued it’s important to redraw districts quickly because having special elections next year would create burdens for election administrators and cause confusion for …

Race for Louisiana’s new second majority-Black congressional district is heating up
5 months ago

Race for Louisiana’s new second majority-Black congressional district is heating up

Associated Press  

— In a critical election year, the race for Louisiana’s new mostly Black congressional district is heating up as three candidates — including a longtime Democratic state lawmaker and former congressman and an 80-year-old Republican who is a former state senator — officially submitted paperwork on Wednesday to run in November. State Sen. Cleo Fields, a Democrat, and former GOP …

Mississippi must move quickly on a court-ordered redistricting, say voting rights attorneys
5 months, 1 week ago

Mississippi must move quickly on a court-ordered redistricting, say voting rights attorneys

Hindustan Times  

— Mississippi should work quickly to fulfill the court-ordered redrawing of some legislative districts to ensure more equitable representation for Black residents, attorneys for voting rights groups said in a new court filing Friday. Mississippi must move quickly on a court-ordered redistricting, say voting rights attorneys The attorneys also said it's important to hold special elections in the reconfigured state …

Mississippi must move quickly on a court-ordered redistricting, say voting rights attorneys
5 months, 1 week ago

Mississippi must move quickly on a court-ordered redistricting, say voting rights attorneys

Associated Press  

— Mississippi should work quickly to fulfill the court-ordered redrawing of some legislative districts to ensure more equitable representation for Black residents, attorneys for voting rights groups said in a new court filing Friday. The attorneys also said it’s important to hold special elections in the reconfigured state House and Senate districts on Nov. 5 — the same day as …

Mississippi election officials argue against quick work on drawing new majority-Black districts
5 months, 1 week ago

Mississippi election officials argue against quick work on drawing new majority-Black districts

Associated Press  

— Redrawing some Mississippi legislative districts in time for this November’s election is impossible because of tight deadlines to prepare ballots, state officials say in new court papers. Attorneys for the all-Republican state Board of Election Commissioners filed arguments Wednesday in response to a July 2 ruling by three federal judges who ordered the Mississippi House and Senate to reconfigure …

Some Mississippi legislative districts dilute Black voting power and must be redrawn, judges say
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Some Mississippi legislative districts dilute Black voting power and must be redrawn, judges say

LA Times  

Mississippi lawmakers review an alternate redistricting map at the state Capitol in Jackson in 2022. Three federal judges are telling Mississippi to redraw some of its legislative districts, saying the current ones dilute the power of Black voters in three parts of the state. Mississippi’s new legislative districts were used when all of the state House and Senate seats were …

Louisiana’s GOP-dominated Legislature concludes three-month-long regular session
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Louisiana’s GOP-dominated Legislature concludes three-month-long regular session

Associated Press  

— Louisiana lawmakers adjourned the 2024 legislative session on Monday, a three-month-long gathering of the GOP-controlled body marked by the passage of a slew of conservative policies that could reshape various aspects of the state. Policies passed this session included a package of anti-LGBTQ+ bills, migrant enforcement measures, a requirement that the Ten Commandments be displayed in public classrooms and …

Supreme Court orders Louisiana to use congressional map with additional Black district in 2024 vote
7 months, 1 week ago

Supreme Court orders Louisiana to use congressional map with additional Black district in 2024 vote

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered Louisiana to hold congressional elections in 2024 using a House map with a second mostly Black district, despite a lower-court ruling that called the map an illegal racial gerrymander. “We are very relieved that SCOTUS agreed with us that it’s too close to the election to insert uncertainty.. We will have a …

The U.S. Supreme Court upholds Louisiana's redistricting plan
7 months, 1 week ago

The U.S. Supreme Court upholds Louisiana's redistricting plan

NPR  

The U.S. Supreme Court upholds Louisiana's redistricting plan Enlarge this image toggle caption Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images The U.S. Supreme Court has for all practical purposes upheld a new congressional redistricting plan in Louisiana that provides for a second majority-Black district. At the same time that the court upheld the creation of a second majority-Black congressional district in …

Judges Reject Map That Would Have Given Louisiana New Majority-Black House District
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Judges Reject Map That Would Have Given Louisiana New Majority-Black House District

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING NEW ORLEANS — A new congressional district map giving Louisiana a second majority-Black House district was rejected Tuesday by a panel of three federal judges, fueling new uncertainty about district boundaries as the state prepares for fall congressional elections. Polling takes place at the Martin Luther King Elementary School in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans …

Louisiana won’t immediately get a new majority-Black House district after judges reject it
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Louisiana won’t immediately get a new majority-Black House district after judges reject it

Associated Press  

NEW ORLEANS — A new congressional map giving Louisiana a second majority-Black House district was rejected Tuesday by a panel of three federal judges, fueling new uncertainty about district boundaries as the state prepares for fall congressional elections. Jeff Landry and Murrill had backed the new map in a January legislative session after a different federal judge threw out a …

The Supreme Court is asked to pause a ruling against Louisiana's congressional map
7 months, 3 weeks ago

The Supreme Court is asked to pause a ruling against Louisiana's congressional map

NPR  

The Supreme Court is asked to pause a ruling against Louisiana's congressional map Enlarge this image toggle caption Gerald Herbert/AP Gerald Herbert/AP The state of Louisiana and a group of Black Louisiana voters have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to put a hold on a lower court order that is blocking Louisiana from using the state's new congressional map for …

New Black congressional district in Louisiana bows to politics, not race, backers say
8 months ago

New Black congressional district in Louisiana bows to politics, not race, backers say

Associated Press  

NEW ORLEANS — Politics and race are both factors in a pending court challenge of Louisiana’s new congressional maps. The map creates a new mostly Black congressional district in Louisiana, at the expense of a white Republican incumbent, Rep. Garret Graves, who backed another Republican in the governor’s election last fall. Twelve self-described non-African American voters argued in a lawsuit …

Attorneys argue over whether Mississippi legislative maps dilute Black voting power
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Attorneys argue over whether Mississippi legislative maps dilute Black voting power

Hindustan Times  

— Mississippi legislators diluted the power of Black voters by drawing too few majority-Black state House and Senate districts after the most recent Census, an attorney representing the NAACP and several residents told three federal judges Monday. HT Image But during opening arguments in a trial of the redistricting case, an attorney representing state officials told the judges that race …

Attorneys argue over whether Mississippi legislative maps dilute Black voting power
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Attorneys argue over whether Mississippi legislative maps dilute Black voting power

Associated Press  

— Mississippi legislators diluted the power of Black voters by drawing too few majority-Black state House and Senate districts after the most recent Census, an attorney representing the NAACP and several residents told three federal judges Monday. But during opening arguments in a trial of the redistricting case, an attorney representing state officials told the judges that race was not …

Judge: Louisiana legislative districts dilute Black voting strength, violate the Voting Rights Act
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Judge: Louisiana legislative districts dilute Black voting strength, violate the Voting Rights Act

Associated Press  

NEW ORLEANS — New state House and Senate boundary lines drawn up by the Louisiana Legislature in 2022 dilute Black voting strength in violation of the U.S. Voting Rights Act, a federal judge in Baton Rouge ruled Thursday. U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick’s ruling blocked the use of the House and Senate district maps in future elections and gave the …

A lawsuit seeks to block Louisiana’s new congressional map that has 2nd mostly Black district
10 months, 3 weeks ago

A lawsuit seeks to block Louisiana’s new congressional map that has 2nd mostly Black district

Associated Press  

NEW ORLEANS — The Louisiana Legislature’s redrawn congressional map giving the state a second mostly Black district is being challenged by 12 self-described “non-African American” voters in a new lawsuit. The challenge filed Wednesday and assigned to a judge in Lafayette says the map, which Republican lawmakers agreed to as a result of a 2022 federal lawsuit filed in Baton …

Louisiana's special session kicks off Monday. Here's a look at what may be discussed
11 months, 1 week ago

Louisiana's special session kicks off Monday. Here's a look at what may be discussed

Hindustan Times  

Louisiana's newly inaugurated Legislature is set to convene for an eight-day special session Monday during which lawmakers will discuss items that could impact how the state conducts elections. Lawmakers also may explore new state Supreme Court districts and moving away from the state’s unique “jungle primary” system. Louisiana’s current GOP-drawn map, which was used in the November congressional election, has …

Newly sworn in, Louisiana’s governor calls for special session to draw new congressional map
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Newly sworn in, Louisiana’s governor calls for special session to draw new congressional map

Associated Press  

— In his first hours in office, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry on Monday called a redistricting special session, giving lawmakers the opportunity to draw and replace the state’s current congressional map that a federal judge said violates the Voting Rights Act by diluting the power of Black voters. But the session looks to go beyond just tackling Louisiana’s congressional map, …

Plaintiffs in a Georgia redistricting case are asking a judge to reject new Republican-proposed maps
1 year ago

Plaintiffs in a Georgia redistricting case are asking a judge to reject new Republican-proposed maps

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — The people who sued to overturn Georgia’s congressional and state legislative districts on Tuesday attacked plans that Republican state lawmakers claim cure illegal dilution of Black votes while preserving GOP power, calling them a “mockery” of federal law and a “total failure of compliance.” The three sets of plaintiffs in the case filed briefs with the federal judge …

Georgia Senate Republicans propose map with 2 new Black-majority districts
1 year ago

Georgia Senate Republicans propose map with 2 new Black-majority districts

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Georgia Senate Republicans are proposing a new map that would create two Black-majority voting districts, but would probably retain Republicans’ 33-23 edge in the General Assembly’s upper chamber, in an effort to fix a map a judge said illegally dilutes Black votes. A special session on redrawing state legislative and congressional districts is scheduled to begin Wednesday after …

Louisiana lawmakers have until Jan. 15 to enact new congressional map, court says
1 year, 1 month ago

Louisiana lawmakers have until Jan. 15 to enact new congressional map, court says

Associated Press  

— The Louisiana Legislature has until Jan. 15 to enact a new congressional map after a lower court last year ruled that the current political boundaries dilute the power of the state’s Black voters, a federal New Orleans appeals court said Friday. U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick said in her ruling that “evidence of Louisiana’s long and ongoing history of …

Georgia says it will appeal a judge’s redistricting decision but won’t seek to pause ruling for now
1 year, 1 month ago

Georgia says it will appeal a judge’s redistricting decision but won’t seek to pause ruling for now

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Georgia says it will appeal a judge’s order to redraw some congressional and state legislative districts, but that it won’t fight in court to pause the order for now, meaning a special session later this month to draw new lines is likely to proceed. A federal judge ruled last week that some of Georgia’s congressional, state Senate and …

Judge says Georgia’s congressional and legislative districts are discriminatory and must be redrawn
1 year, 1 month ago

Judge says Georgia’s congressional and legislative districts are discriminatory and must be redrawn

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A federal judge ruled Thursday that some of Georgia’s congressional, state Senate and state House districts were drawn in a racially discriminatory manner, ordering the state to draw an additional Black-majority congressional district. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones, in a 516-page order, also ordered the state to draw two new Black-majority districts in Georgia’s 56-member state Senate and …

The Supreme Court refuses to speed the drawing of a new congressional map in Louisiana
1 year, 2 months ago

The Supreme Court refuses to speed the drawing of a new congressional map in Louisiana

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected an emergency appeal from Black voters in Louisiana to speed the process of drawing new congressional districts in the state. The appeals court said U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick was moving too fast and must give the state more time to consider a new map. Civil rights groups had hoped a new …

Louisiana Republicans are in court to fight efforts to establish new Black congressional district
1 year, 2 months ago

Louisiana Republicans are in court to fight efforts to establish new Black congressional district

Associated Press  

NEW ORLEANS — Federal appeals court judges in New Orleans closely questioned voting rights advocates and attorneys for Louisiana Republican officials Friday on whether Louisiana must follow Alabama’s court-ordered path in drawing a new mostly Black congressional district — and how quickly that could and should be done ahead of next year’s elections. Louisiana is among multiple states still wrangling …

Judges aiming to give Black voters more influence in Alabama set to redraw congressional districts
1 year, 2 months ago

Judges aiming to give Black voters more influence in Alabama set to redraw congressional districts

Associated Press  

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A federal judge said Tuesday that the court will soon adopt new congressional districts for Alabama, choosing among proposals aimed at giving Black voters a greater opportunity to influence election outcomes in the Deep South state. The panel is stepping in to adopt new district boundaries after ruling that the Republican-controlled Alabama Legislature failed to remedy a …

Court appointee proposes Alabama congressional districts to provide representation to Black voters
1 year, 2 months ago

Court appointee proposes Alabama congressional districts to provide representation to Black voters

Associated Press  

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A court-appointed special master on Monday submitted three proposals for new congressional districts in Alabama as federal judges oversee the drawing of new lines to provide greater representation for Black voters. Richard Allen, the court-appointed special master, wrote that all three proposals follow the court’s instruction to create a second district in the state where Black voters …

Supreme Court to decide whether Alabama can postpone drawing new congressional districts
1 year, 3 months ago

Supreme Court to decide whether Alabama can postpone drawing new congressional districts

Associated Press  

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to soon rule on Alabama’s request to let it keep new GOP-drawn congressional lines in place as it fights a three-judge panel’s plan to create a second majority-Black district, or something close to it, in the Deep South state. The state attorney general and lawyers representing Black voters who challenged the …

A Georgia trial arguing redistricting harmed Black voters could decide control of a US House seat
1 year, 3 months ago

A Georgia trial arguing redistricting harmed Black voters could decide control of a US House seat

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Democrats could gain a seat in the U.S. House and multiple seats in Georgia’s Legislature if a judge rules Republicans drew maps illegally weakening Black voters’ power. Court cases challenging district lines drawn after the 2020 Census could shape 2024 congressional elections in states beyond Alabama and Georgia, including Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina and Texas. “Despite these striking …

Plaintiffs in voting rights case urge judges to toss Alabama’s new congressional map
1 year, 4 months ago

Plaintiffs in voting rights case urge judges to toss Alabama’s new congressional map

Associated Press  

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Voting rights activists are returning to court to fight Alabama’s redrawn congressional districts, saying state Republicans failed to follow federal court orders to create a district that is fair to Black voters. A special three-judge panel in 2022 blocked use of the the state’s existing districts and said any new congressional map should include two districts where …

The fight over Alabama’s congressional redistricting now shifts back to federal court
1 year, 5 months ago

The fight over Alabama’s congressional redistricting now shifts back to federal court

Associated Press  

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Standing at an Alabama Statehouse microphone before lawmakers voted on new congressional districts, state Rep. Chris England said that change in the Deep South state has often happened only through federal court order. The fight over whether Alabama’s congressional map complies with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 now shifts back to federal court as state Republicans …

Judge refuses to toss discrimination lawsuits over Georgia voting districts
1 year, 5 months ago

Judge refuses to toss discrimination lawsuits over Georgia voting districts

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A judge has refused to dismiss lawsuits alleging Georgia’s congressional and legislative districts illegally discriminate against Black voters. The orders apply to three cases, one challenging the lines of Georgia’s 14 congressional districts and two challenging the lines of the 56 state Senate and 180 state House districts. In the state legislative cases, the challengers argue a map …

Supreme Court unfreezes Louisiana redistricting case that could boost Black voting power before 2024
1 year, 5 months ago

Supreme Court unfreezes Louisiana redistricting case that could boost Black voting power before 2024

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday lifted its hold on a Louisiana political remap case, increasing the likelihood that the Republican-dominated state will have to redraw boundary lines to create a second mostly Black congressional district. “What this does is it puts us back on track to realize a second majority-minority district.” In a written statement, the Louisiana Legislative …

NAACP sues Mississippi over legislative redistricting plan
2 years ago

NAACP sues Mississippi over legislative redistricting plan

Associated Press  

— Mississippi is perpetuating a legacy of racial discrimination because lawmakers failed to draw enough majority-Black districts for the state House and Senate, civil rights advocates say in a lawsuit filed Tuesday. The suit says redistricting plans for the 122-member House and the 52-member Senate will dilute the voting power of Black people in a state with the largest percentage …

Justices nix 2nd mostly Black district in Louisiana for 2022
2 years, 5 months ago

Justices nix 2nd mostly Black district in Louisiana for 2022

Associated Press  

BATON ROUGE — The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday put on hold a lower court ruling that Louisiana must draw new congressional districts before the 2022 elections to increase Black voting power. With the three liberal justices dissenting, the high court short-circuited the earlier order from U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick to create a second majority Black congressional district in …

Louisiana session ends: No new map with a 2nd Black district
2 years, 6 months ago

Louisiana session ends: No new map with a 2nd Black district

Associated Press  

— Louisiana lawmakers ended a special session Saturday saying they were unable to agree on a new congressional map that includes a second majority Black district as ordered by a federal judge, prompting an angry blast from the governor. U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick on June 6 had struck down the state’s original U.S. House map approved earlier this year …

Judge denies extension for Louisiana redistricting deadline
2 years, 6 months ago

Judge denies extension for Louisiana redistricting deadline

Associated Press  

BATON ROUGE — A request by Louisiana legislative leaders to extend the deadline of completing a new congressional map — that must include a second majority-Black district — was rejected by a federal judge Thursday. Dick additionally described the efforts by House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, on the first day of the six-day special session, as “disingenuous” and “insincere.” “With five …

Order for Louisiana to redraw US House districts put on hold
2 years, 6 months ago

Order for Louisiana to redraw US House districts put on hold

Associated Press  

NEW ORLEANS — A federal appeals court has put on hold a district judge’s order for Louisiana to redraw new congressional districts by June 20 to include a second majority Black district. Lawyers for Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin wrote in a motion filed Friday that Dick’s order would itself require a racial gerrymander that would violate the Voting Rights …

Judge won’t delay order for congressional remap in Louisiana
2 years, 6 months ago

Judge won’t delay order for congressional remap in Louisiana

Associated Press  

NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge in Baton Rouge refused on Thursday to delay her order for Louisiana to redraw its congressional districts while the state’s top elections official appeals. Court papers for Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin call the deadline “unworkable.” But Dick wrote that the state’s argument was “insincere and not persuasive.” The state requires seven days’ notice …

Louisiana governor: Special session to draw new Congress map
2 years, 6 months ago

Louisiana governor: Special session to draw new Congress map

Associated Press  

NEW ORLEANS — Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards on Tuesday called a special legislative session to redraw Louisiana’s congressional boundary lines after a map adopted by the Republican-dominated Legislature was blocked by a federal judge in Baton Rouge. Edwards’ call for a six-day session starting June 15 came as Republican Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, the state’s top election official, …

Judge blocks Louisiana Congress map with one Black district
2 years, 6 months ago

Judge blocks Louisiana Congress map with one Black district

Associated Press  

NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana’s Democratic governor said Monday he will call the Republican-dominated Legislature into special session soon to draw up new congressional district boundaries, now that a federal judge has blocked use of maps that have only one majority-Black district. He spoke to reporters minutes after the 2022 regular legislative session ended, and a few hours after U.S. District …

Federal judge dismisses Arkansas redistricting lawsuit
2 years, 10 months ago

Federal judge dismisses Arkansas redistricting lawsuit

Associated Press  

— A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit challenging Arkansas’ new state House districts after the Justice Department declined to intervene in the case. In last week’s decision, Rudofsky said groups challenging the state’s new House boundaries had a “strong merits case” but ruled that private groups couldn’t sue to claim violations of the federal Voting Rights Act. The …

Judge to toss Arkansas redistricting case unless DOJ joins
2 years, 10 months ago

Judge to toss Arkansas redistricting case unless DOJ joins

Associated Press  

— A federal judge said Thursday he’s dismissing a lawsuit challenging Arkansas’ new state House districts as diluting the influence of Black voters, unless the Justice Department joins the case as a plaintiff. U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky said there’s “a strong merits case that at least some of the challenged districts” in the lawsuit by two groups violate the …

House quickly kills new Black district for Supreme Court
2 years, 10 months ago

House quickly kills new Black district for Supreme Court

Associated Press  

— A bill to give Louisiana a second majority-Black Supreme Court district was killed on the House floor Wednesday when an opponent used a parliamentary move to abruptly cut off debate, angering the measure’s Republican sponsor. Ivey, who is white, has joined fellow Republicans in the GOP-dominated Legislature in opposing efforts to create a second majority-minority congressional district in Louisiana. …

In win for GOP, Supreme Court blocks new Black-majority district in Alabama
2 years, 10 months ago

In win for GOP, Supreme Court blocks new Black-majority district in Alabama

LA Times  

In its first decision on this decade’s congressional redistricting, the Supreme Court on Monday sided with Alabama’s Republicans and blocked the creation of a new Black-majority district in the state. By a 5-4 vote, the justices set aside for now a ruling by a panel of three judges, two of whom were President Trump appointees, who said the state Republican-controlled …

Senate OKs bill increasing redistricting plan transparency
2 years, 10 months ago

Senate OKs bill increasing redistricting plan transparency

Associated Press  

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington state Senate on Wednesday unanimously approved a measure that seeks to create more transparency around the state’s redistricting process following last year’s chaotic final hours of work that led to complaints its deliberations may have violated open meetings laws. In December, the state Supreme Court said the plan adopted by the Washington Redistricting Commission “substantially …

Racial representation an issue in Louisiana redistricting
2 years, 10 months ago

Racial representation an issue in Louisiana redistricting

Associated Press  

NEW ORLEANS — Data from the 2020 census shows that 56% of Louisiana’s people identify as white, more than 31% as Black and nearly 7% Hispanic or Latino, yet only one of the state’s six U.S. House members is Black. “Every district is going to have to change, and every member needs to be expecting that change,” state Rep. John …

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