A three-judge panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court ruling that Louisiana’s state legislative maps violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by diluting Black voting power. The decision stems from Nairne v. Landry, a lawsuit filed by Black voters challenging 2022 redistricting plans that did not increase the number of majority-Black districts in the state Senate or House.
U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick ruled in 2024 that the maps failed to give Black voters a fair opportunity to elect representatives of their choice. The state appealed, arguing Section 2 was unconstitutional and should not apply. The appellate panel — Judges James Dennis, Catharina Haynes, and Irma Ramirez — rejected that claim, citing Congress’s intent to combat racial discrimination in voting.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill criticized the ruling and said the state is reviewing options as the U.S. Supreme Court considers a related congressional redistricting case, Louisiana v. Callais. That case could delay any new legislative maps until 2027.
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