Louisiana's governor defends decision to suspend congressional primaries
After the Supreme Court ruled a Louisiana congressional map unconstitutional, Gov. Jeff Landry suspended primaries, the state is redrawing its map, and some Black voters fear losing their voice in D.C.
This past week, chaos and protests broke out in statehouses as Republicans and Democrats race to draw new congressional maps. What is usually an arcane process has become an unprecedented political free-for-all.
At stake is control of Congress in November's midterm elections. With a razor thin margin, both parties are rushing to draw new lines, hoping to tilt the House of Representatives in their favor.
Adding fuel to the fire: a landmark Supreme Court decision 11 days ago found a congressional map in Louisiana was unconstitutional. The court said legislators relied too heavily on race to draw the lines. And that's where we went. Louisiana's Republican governor and his party are already moving to carve out new districts and many Black voters we met fear their district will be wiped off the map.
Town hall pastor: I just don't understand why there is nobody able to stop this train. You see all the wrong. You see-- it's-- it's racist. You know it.
This past Monday, it was a packed house at the Galilee Baptist church, the spiritual anchor to the west side of Shreveport, where for many, the memories of Jim Crow run deep.
One by one, the constituents lined up with questions about the fate of their congressional district. Their Democratic congressman, Cleo Fields, didn't have many answers.