SUPREME COURT DELAYS EFFORT TO ADD SECOND MAJORITY-BLACK DISTRICT IN LOUISIANA'S CONGRESSIONAL MAP

Congress postpones new Louisiana map as Supreme Court blocks district court redistricting efforts until appeals court rules, leaving 2024 elections in question.

The Supreme Court has declined to intervene in the ongoing dispute over Louisiana's new congressional map. This decision leaves in place an order by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals which cancels a planned hearing to draw a fresh map.
The Louisiana legislature adopted the electoral map despite governor John Bel Edwards' veto. This new map followed the 2020 census with roughly a third of the state's population being Black, but only one of the six districts contains majority Black voters.
While the new maps were accepted, they immediately faced legal challenges from voters and civil rights groups. They argue that the freshly drawn map violates Section 2 of the Federal Voting Rights Act, seeing as it allegedly bars racial discrimination in voting.
In June 2022, the district court precluded Louisiana from using its legislative map, ordering the state's legislature to create a new map inclusive of a second majority-Black district. This move was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, which refused to lift the district court's stay.
The ongoing dispute raises concerns that the 2024 elections may proceed without the introduction of a new map. This scenario could lead to further disputes and underscore allegations of racial discrimination in voting patterns.