Louisiana lawmakers pass congressional map favouring Republicans

Louisiana lawmakers have passed a new map of congressional districts designed to help Republicans pick up a seat in the United States House of Representatives. But to do so, the map eliminates one of the state’s two majority-Black districts, both of which are represented by Democrats. Recommended Stories list of 3 items end of list Approval in Louisiana’s legislature came on Friday. It follows an April decision from the US Supreme Court striking down Louisiana’s current map as an illegal racial gerrymander because it was drawn to include two majority-Black districts. That ruling, in the case Louisiana v Callais, weakened the landmark 1965 federal Voting Rights Act, meant to prevent discrimination against minorities at the ballot box. It also intensified a national redistricting battle fuelled by President Donald Trump’s efforts to protect the Republicans’ slim House majority in the midterm elections . Louisiana is one of several Southern states now redrawing their maps to help Republicans. Louisiana Republicans had considered drawing a map giving the party a shot at winning all six of the state’s US House seats. But that would have required adding more registered Democrats to Republican-held districts, which could have potentially backfired with Republican losses. Republicans currently hold four of Louisiana’s six congressional seats, and they are slated to pick up a fifth with the newly passed map. It was approved on Friday by the Louisiana state Senate in a 28-to-10 vote. …