LOUISIANA, USA — In a majority-opinion by the Supreme Court Wednesday, Louisiana lawmakers must now redraw maps to include second-majority minority election district ahead of the 2024 fall elections.
"The current election districts have not been updated in more than 25 years," the Louisiana Supreme Court said on Wednesday. "We feel the time to act relative to these issues is now."
In the past year, other southern states with large Black populations but limited representation had been ordered by various courts to redraw their maps, including in Alabama and Georgia.
This comes a month after the a federal New Orleans appeals court said that the legislature had until Jan. 15 to enact a new congressional map.
As a result, the Supreme Court designed a redistricting proposal to create a second majority-minority district in hopes the proposal will resolve the federal lawsuit.
The Supreme Court asked that the Louisiana Supreme Court election districts be included in calls for special special sessions related to redistricting.
In a letter, the Supreme Court acknowledged it has been difficult reaching a supportive majority. The judiciary also asked that the proposed plan be adopted without change.
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