The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Oct. 23, 2023
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
A Louisiana racial gerrymandering case we’ve been following will be allowed to go forward, but just not as quickly, due to a U.S. Supreme Court no-action decision on Oct. 19th. It could still mean fairer maps before the 2024 election.
The Louisiana case is a similar racial gerrymandering case to the Alabama Milligan case, which required two majority-minority Congressional districts. Louisiana’s population is 30% African American – more than Alabama – yet has only one majority-minority Congressional district out of six.
The lower court judge in the case ordered new maps with two majority Black districts, citing an inability of the legislature to do so before 2024. Just before a hearing in early October, the State of Louisiana asked for an emergency stay, which the 5th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals surprisingly granted. Democracy groups appealed.
Last Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to intervene, letting the emergency stay stand, and cases in the lower and appeals courts to proceed. A Legal Defense Fund attorney was still optimistic that fair maps could still be redrawn before the 2024 election, according to reporting by the Louisiana Illuminator.
Lower court hearings on the maps are expected to resume on February 5, 2024. In the meantime, a federal appeals court hears Louisiana’s appeal to give the legislature more time to draw its own maps.
We have more on this complicated case at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Democracy Docket – Louisiana Congressional Redistricting Challenge (Robinson)
Democracy Docket – Louisiana Voters Ask U.S. Supreme Court To Pause 5th Circuit Order Delaying Fair Maps
Louisiana Illuminator – Supreme Court ruling in Louisiana redistricting case creates uncertainty
SCOTUS Blog – Justices decline to intervene in Louisiana’s Republican-drawn voting map dispute
U.S. Supreme Court – PRESS ROBINSON, ET AL. v. KYLE ARDOIN, LOUISIANA SECRETARY OF STATE, ET AL.
Groups Taking Action:
NAACP Legal Defense Fund, ACLU Louisiana, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice
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#Democracy #DemocracyNews #RacialGerrymandering #LouisianaPolitics #FairMaps