NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Federal judges who recently threw out a congressional election map giving Louisiana a second mostly Black district said Tuesday the state Legislature must pass a new map by June 3 or face having the panel impose one on the state.
The order from a panel of two federal district judges and an appellate judge noted that they would begin work on a remedial plan while giving lawmakers a chance to come up with a plan.
State lawmakers are meeting in Baton Rouge in a regular session that will end by June 3.
“To be clear, the fact that the Court is proceeding with the remedial phase of this case does not foreclose the Louisiana Legislature from exercising its ‘sovereign interest’ by drawing a legally compliant map,” the judges wrote.
Whatever comes out of the court could impact the makeup of the next U.S. Congress. Given voting patterns, a new mostly Black district would give Democrats the chance to capture another House seat. The map that was recently tossed converted District 6, represented by Republican Rep. Garret Graves, into a mostly Black district. Democratic state Sen. Cleo Fields, a former congressman who is Black, had said he would run for the seat.
Too much water, and not enough: Brazil's flooded south struggles to find basic goods
U.S. and Mexico will boost deportation flights and enforcement to crack down on illegal migration
5 takeaways from the global negotiations on a treaty to end plastic pollution
‘Kraven the Hunter’ release delayed until December
Scientists are learning the basic building blocks of sperm whale language after years of effort
FCC fines wireless carriers for sharing user locations without consent
Alicia Keys, Brian d’Arcy James, Daniel Radcliffe and more react to earning Tony Award nominations
US service member shot and killed by Florida police identified by the Air Force
The cancer drugs that could improve survival rates if given to patients in the morning
Medicare and Social Security go
Democrats vow to protect Speaker Mike Johnson from being ousted from office