Lawmakers Make History in Overriding Louisiana Governor’s Veto

The legal fight is now on over the Congressional district map in Louisiana. The state legislature voted to override Governor John Bel Edwards vetoes of the map that passed during the special session last month.

Governor Edwards says he is disappointed by the overrides, but not surprised. He says GOP majorities in both chambers chose to ignore simple math.

When the population of our state is one-third African American, and we know that it is, then simple math and simple fairness means that two of those districts need to be minority districts. That's pretty easy to understand.

About one-third of Louisiana voters are Black, so many - including Edwards - feel that one-third of the state’s six congressional districts should reflect that. The governor says there is “no function of the legislature more partisan and divisive” than redistricting.

It's not easy to understand why the majority of the members of the House and Senate refused multiple times to do what is right and what is fair.

Republican Senator Sharon Hewitt says this was a tough task. She says federal law requires that Black population must be contiguous and compact.

And you can only draw a second minority district if the minority lives in an area that is geographically compact and of a sufficient number where they would perform as a minority district.

Hewitt says lawmakers did the best that they could, but there were several obsticles.

We were not physically able to draw a map with 2 minority districts that would perform as minority districts.

The NAACP has already filed suit and will be taken this case to the courts. Qualifying for the Congressional races is just over 3 months away.