Senate Bill 121, which would restructure Louisiana’s congressional district maps and eliminate one of the state’s two majority minority districts passes through the House and Governmental Affairs Committee. It passed with a 10 to 7 vote. The bill now heads to the House floor for a full vote. The author of the bill, Sen. Jay Morris, brought the map before the committee, facing criticism and answering questions from Democratic committee members for nearly four hours. State Rep. Dixon McMakin proposed an amendment that slightly alters the map, but still reduces the state’s minority districts. According to McMakin, it reduces the number of parishes that are divided by district. The amendment was ultimately adopted by the majority Republican committee. Another amendment, proposed by Democratic Rep. Rodney Lyons, was shot down. After considering amendments, the committee heard nearly 5 hours of public testimony, beginning with former New Orleans mayor and president and CEO of the National Urban League, Marc Morial. He encouraged legislators to go back to the drawing board.”Scrap that map and go back and write a map that’s fair. It must be fair to Black communities, fair to white communities, fair to Republicans and Democrats,” Morial said.
Senate Bill 121, which would restructure Louisiana’s congressional district maps and eliminate one of the state’s two majority minority districts passes through the House and Governmental Affairs Committee.
It passed with a 10 to 7 vote. The bill now heads to the House floor for a full vote.
The author of the bill, Sen. Jay Morris, brought the map before the committee, facing criticism and answering questions from Democratic committee members for nearly four hours.
State Rep. Dixon McMakin proposed an amendment that slightly alters the map, but still reduces the state’s minority districts. According to McMakin, it reduces the number of parishes that are divided by district.
The amendment was ultimately adopted by the majority Republican committee.
Another amendment, proposed by Democratic Rep. Rodney Lyons, was shot down.
After considering amendments, the committee heard nearly 5 hours of public testimony, beginning with former New Orleans mayor and president and CEO of the National Urban League, Marc Morial.
He encouraged legislators to go back to the drawing board.
“Scrap that map and go back and write a map that’s fair. It must be fair to Black communities, fair to white communities, fair to Republicans and Democrats,” Morial said.
