BATON ROUGE — A Louisiana Senate committee voted early Wednesday to advance a new congressional redistricting plan that would eliminate one of the state’s two majority-Democratic districts and create a 5-1 Republican advantage in the U.S. House delegation.
The 4-3 vote came at 4:25 a.m. after more than nine hours of testimony during an overnight hearing. The decision sends Senate Bill 121, authored by Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, to the full Senate for debate Thursday.
The committee also rejected an alternative proposal, Senate Bill 407 by Sen. Edward Price, D-Gonzales, on the same 4-3 margin. That bill would have preserved two Democratic-majority districts.
The action follows a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in April that struck down one of Louisiana’s congressional districts for racial gerrymandering, prompting lawmakers to redraw the map ahead of upcoming elections.
Under the approved plan, Louisiana would have one Democratic-leaning district centered in the New Orleans-Baton Rouge corridor, while the remaining five districts would favor Republicans. The configuration could pit Democratic Reps. Cleo Fields and Troy Carter in the same district.
Democrats criticized the proposal as partisan, while supporters said it complies with the court ruling and reflects majority rule.
The debate comes amid broader disputes over election timing and ballots already cast in the U.S. House races, as lawmakers continue to work through the redistricting process.
