A Louisiana Senate committee is removing one of two majority-Black districts from the developing map

In a nearly 10-hour committee hearing that lasted overnight, Louisiana lawmakers introduced a redistricting bill to Congress that would eliminate one of the state’s two majority-black districts, giving Republicans another seat in their bid to maintain control of Congress.

The Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee met from 7 p.m. on Tuesday to 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday to discuss two bills regarding redistricting. Republicans won with a 4-3 majority to approve the proposal Senate Bill No. 121 Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, which maintains one majority-Black district stretching from Baton Rouge to New Orleans.

The first steps towards changing the composition of the state Congress were taken two weeks after the announcement of the US Supreme Court’s ruling Existing United States House of Representatives districts in Louisiana unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The conservative justices’ 6-3 decision in Louisiana v. Callais prompted Republican leaders in Southern states to adjust their congressional maps as well.

The up-to-date district proposed by Morris is essentially the same as the one won in the 2022 election by U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, although the inclusion of Baton Rouge means Carter would face U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge. The net result would give Republicans five of Louisiana’s six House seats.

“This 5-1 map represents a political power grab,” said Sen. Sam Jenkins, D-Shreveport.

The committee rejected another proposal, Senate Bill 407 by Sen. Ed Price, D-Gonzales, which created two competitive districts for Democrats even though neither district was majority black. Price said that since the Callais decision circumscribed the extent to which lawmakers can take race into account, he primarily referred to party demographics.

A day after the Callais ruling, Republican Gov. Jeff Landry suspended the U.S. House of Representatives party primaries, which take place on Saturday, to give lawmakers enough time to adopt up-to-date maps for the 2026 midterm elections.

The Louisiana Senate is expected to vote on Morris’ bill on Thursday, and a House committee will take up the bill next week. The proposal must receive approval from both chambers by June 1.

Most of the marathon hearings included public testimony from dozens of people supporting Price’s map and opposing Morris’s version, with only one person representing an opposing point of view appearing before lawmakers. Hundreds more voting rights advocates packed other Senate committee rooms to watch a video feed of the hearing.

At times the exchanges became heated. Senator Royce Duplessis of New Orleans asked Morris a series of pointed questions, which he refused to answer, including: whether he believes racism still exists in America. Morris only responded that the question was unrelated to his bill.

Sen. Blake Miguez of New Iberia, running in the 5th Congressional District, has repeatedly attacked Democrats speaking out about the bills. After testifying, he told Dadrius Lanus, executive director of the Louisiana Democratic Party, that “Hanger and anger are a great representation of the Democratic Party.”

Although many supporters who had spoken earlier in the evening had left by the time the Morris bill was discussed, several dozen remained in the committee room throughout the night, occasionally entering the hallway to dip into bags of rapid food shared by other activists.

“Personally, I’m here because I can’t think of a single thing more important than this,” Britain Forsyth told the committee. “I can think of nothing more important than ensuring that everyone in my home state can elect someone to represent them, who will listen to them and respond. And I’m here because Jim Crow maps like this have no place in our state.”

Ahead of Tuesday’s Senate and Governmental Affairs hearing, Sen. Gary Carter, R-New Orleans, announced he was taking a “voluntary leave” from the committee.

His statement followed a verbal clash with Morris and the panel’s chairman, Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, R-Port Allen, during Friday’s public hearing on congressional maps. Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, replaced Carter with Sen. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, for the remainder of the legislative session.

“My voice in this process will remain strong, steady and unwavering,” Carter said in a statement. “But now is the time for clarity and purpose. We cannot afford to be distracted when the stakes are so high for our democracy, our representation and the people we serve.”

Carter’s uncle is U.S. Representative Troy Carter.

During Friday’s hearing, Gary Carter sharply criticized Morris for “all” of his work and its impact on Black elected officials in New Orleans. Morris also authored a up-to-date law that eliminated the Orleans Criminal Court Clerk and has put forward proposals to reduce the number of judges in the city.

The resentment came to a head when Carter demanded that Kleinpeter turn the microphone back on after the chairman adjourned the meeting. Morris then left the room, telling the people sitting behind him “you need to shut up.”

Lanus, who is Black, stood directly behind the senator and claimed that Morris used the offensive term “boy” towards him. In a statement Friday, Morris denied using such language, and the term cannot be heard in the online video recording of the legislature.

Morris said USA Today Network after the Democratic Party leader’s claims, his office received a threat of a mass shooting. The senator accused state party leaders of stoking hatred they claim to oppose.

Attorney General Liz Murrill released a statement Tuesday alleging that Morris was “misquoted by individuals with their own motives” and urged lawmakers to condemn the incident.