Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill on Monday condemned threats made against Republican state Sen. Jay Morris and his staff following a contentious legislative hearing on congressional redistricting.
"The political process is designed to encourage participation and debate and to provide a forum for people to be heard. There is absolutely no place for violence or threats in this process," Murrill said in a statement.
Murrill also defended Morris against accusations that he used a racial slur during Friday's Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing, saying he had been "intentionally misquoted by individuals with their own motives."
"The irresponsible, intentional misquoting of Sen. Morris triggered death threats, which now threaten the security of his family and staff, as well as a State Senator," Murrill said. "This is completely unacceptable."
Morris said Monday that his office received about 150 voicemails over the weekend, including one calling for a mass shooting at his office.
You can read our original story from the LSU Manship School News Service here.
The Louisiana Democratic Party had accused Morris of telling Democratic Party Executive Director Dadrius Lanus, who is Black, to "shut up, boy" during the hearing. Morris denied using the word "boy," saying he instead told disruptive attendees to "shut up."
The dispute stemmed from a heated hearing over proposals to redraw Louisiana's congressional maps following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling limiting the use of race in redistricting. Sen. Gary Carter later apologized for losing his temper during the exchange but said his concerns centered on legislation he believes would reduce Black political representation.
Republican lawmakers have since accelerated the timeline for additional redistricting hearings, with the Senate committee scheduled to reconvene Tuesday. Gov. Jeff Landry said Monday he supports a congressional map favoring Republicans while remaining legally defensible, suggesting a likely 5-1 Republican advantage.
