(The Center Square) — The congressional map favoring Republicans took another step Thursday, passing the Senate along party lines. It now heads to the House, where amendments may or may not be made.
Democrats offered closing arguments against the map, but Republicans didn’t budge and all voted in favor of Sen. Jay Morris’ bill. The map passed 27-10.
Morris, R-West Monroe, said that his map was authored “in pursuant of a colorblind constitution,” though admitted that the map was drawn “to maximize a Republican advantage”. Democrats have promised to introduce legal challenges to the map.
If the map passes, it would jeopardize current U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields’ seat. After the hearing, Senate President Cameron Henry spoke with reporters and said that he doesn’t expect Fields to run against Rep. Troy Carter.
“He doesn’t want to pit New Orleans and Baton Rouge against each other,” Henry said.
The Senate spent hours debating Morris’ map and Democrats made many of the same appeals as in recent days, specifically that a map could be drawn with two majority-Black districts while still satisfying the standards laid out in the Louisiana v. Callais decision.
That decision says constitutional maps can include gerrymandering that favors one party, but race cannot predominate over traditional redistricting principles unless lawmakers have a strong basis for believing the Voting Rights Act requires it.
“Those who win elections have the authority to govern, legislate and draw districts at any time,” Sen. Katrina Jackson-Andrews said. “But the true test of democracy is not how the majority treats itself, the true test is how the majority treats the minority. The real question is whether we are using our authority responsibly. Louisiana’s history on voting rights is sketchy”
Redistricting could begin again after the 2030 census, when congressional seats are reapportioned among the states and Louisiana lawmakers must redraw district lines using new population data.
Henry said the impact of the Callais decision will depend first on whether the current map survives and then on whether Louisiana keeps all six of its congressional seats. If the state’s population lags behind faster-growing states, he said, Louisiana could face a larger problem than redrawing district boundaries: losing a seat in Congress altogether.
“That’s the next thing with the Census Bureau — how are they going to divide it up?” Henry said.
Henry pointed to population growth in states such as Florida and Texas, compared with slower growth or losses in states such as New York and California, as the first question that will shape the next round of redistricting.
