Blocked: Louisiana congressional maps with 1 Black district
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal judge on Monday blocked the use of newly drawn congressional maps in Louisiana that include only one mostly Black district, and she ordered the Legislature to come up with a remedial plan by June 20.
State officials swiftly filed a notice of appeal of the order by U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick in Baton Rouge.
The district map was drawn up in a special session earlier this year by the Republican-dominated Legislature. Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoed the maps but his veto was overridden. That led to a lawsuit by voting rights advocates.
Edwards said lawmakers should have included a second majority-Black district among the six districts they approved, noting that the state’s population is almost one-third Black.
