Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

It was a decision that Louisiana Republicans didn’t want, but perhaps quietly acknowledged that there wasn’t anything that they could do about it. A decision by the U.S. Supreme Court requiring Louisiana legislators to redraw its congressional maps because the current one allegedly violates Voting Rights Act. Louisiana’s Black state legislators have been trying for years to have a second majority voting district in a state where the Afro-American population is one-third Black. But Republicans have resisted every attempt by Black leaders to carve out a second district, instead using gerrymandering practices that have kept in place one solid majority Black voting district. By concentrating the Black population into the state’s largest areas, particularly around New Orleans, but kept other areas grouped among many rural districts throughout the state. Earlier rulings from a lawsuit filed against the state declared that the maps proposed were discriminatory to Black voters and that they must be redrawn. The state appealed the ruling that sent the case to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals which let lower court rulings stand, but Louisiana Republicans appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court where black leaders felt that they had a shot, albeit a long one at winning.

That “long shot” was given a big boost recently when the Supreme Court ruled that the state of Alabama which has a Black population much smaller than Louisiana, must redraw its congressional map creating a new majority Black voting district. Monday’s ruling(June 26, 2023) came as the Court is ruling on major cases before the bench, as the Justices are getting ready to wind this session of the Court before it is in recess. But it is also believed that the issue before Louisiana can be settled before the 2024 congressional and presidential elections begin. Democrats across the state expressed joy at the Supreme Court’s decision because of its 6-3 conservative voting bloc on many issues that have divided the nation with voting rights being on. The Louisiana Black Caucus said in a statement that it “applauds the decision that allows them to move forward in the fight for fair congressional maps in Louisiana. Though there is more work to be done, they are very confident that our state will have two Black congressional districts by the 2024 elections”. At the time of the decision, Louisiana Attorney Jeff Landry who is running for governor made no comments concerning the decision, but a spokesperson said that their job is to “defend” what the legislature passed, and “trust” the 5th Circuit will review the merits in accordance with the law. But it appears that the Supreme Court didn’t agree. One must remember that Republicans tout their party as “one of inclusion” for all voters, but for some strange reason, the party keeps coming up with ways to suppress people from voting that ultimately end up in court. Why join a political group that doesn’t want your vote? Gerrymandering is the next best way for them to keep those away in large numbers that could knock them out of power. A second Black majority voting district will certainly change the voting dynamics for decades to come.