Louisiana House expected to take up new Congressional map on Thursday

(The Center Square) − The Louisiana House of Representatives is expected to take up the state’s proposed congressional map Thursday morning.Rep. Beau Beaullieu, R-New Iberia, has been working with lawmakers over the past week to build support for the proposal, though he said some small changes will be made.Beaullieu said he is trying to build enough support to pass the bill by a wide margin and wants more than 53 votes. “If we make this change, are you voting for the bill?” Beaullieu said, characterizing his discussions with members.Some Republicans will not be happy, Beaullieu said, though he added that no one has come to him requesting a specific change to make the map more politically favorable.Lawmakers concerns mirror some of the amendments raised in the Senate: whether parishes are split between districts, where their communities end up in the final map and whether divided districts could dilute their influence. If a parish is split, Beaullieu said, residents may make up a smaller share of a congressional district, which could make it less likely that their representative prioritizes local interests.Beaullieu said he has made clear to members that any amendment to the map will not be drawn around any current candidate for office, including Rep. Michael Echols, R-Monroe, who is running for Congress but is not an incumbent.He acknowledged, however, that incumbency and political considerations are part of the broader redistricting discussion. Beaullieu said no member has directly asked for a change simply because it would strengthen a candidate or district politically.The House debate comes after the Senate approved a map authored by Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, that would unwind much of the congressional map Louisiana adopted after years of litigation over Black voting power.The current map includes two majority-Black districts: the New Orleans-based 2nd District, represented by U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, and the 6th District, represented by U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge.Morris’ map would preserve the 2nd District but reshape Fields’ district, eliminating Louisiana’s second majority-Black seat and likely giving Republicans a better chance of winning five of the state’s six congressional districts. The Senate passed the plan 27-10.The redistricting scramble follows a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that found Louisiana’s current map was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.