Hearing set in federal lawsuit over new Louisiana congressional district map
Hearings will be taking place from April 8-9 in Shreveport on a new lawsuit that was filed by voters over the new congressional map.
BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Three federal judges will hear arguments over the new maps for U.S. congressional districts in Louisiana. A new lawsuit was filed after the Legislature OK'd a layout meant to be in line with the Voting Rights Act. The preliminary injunction hearing is set for April 8-9 in Shreveport.
Several people across the state argued in the suit that the new map was similar to the Hays vs. Louisiana map in the 1990s that was determined to be unconstitutional. The plaintiffs also found issues with the sixth district stretching from Baton Rouge to Shreveport.
The Louisiana Legislature approved a new U.S. congressional map Friday, Jan. 19, during a special session. The House voted 86-16 to pass the map, and the Senate approved it 27-11.
The proposed congressional map would nearly cut the fourth district covering western Louisiana in half with the sixth district.
The case was filed in the Western District Court of Louisiana. The three-judge panel will consist of Circuit Judge Carl E. Stewart, Judge Robert R. Summerhays, and Judge David C. Joseph.