Feb. 19 2024: The state has appealed the decision invalidating Louisiana’s legislative maps to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Feb. 8 2024: The U.S. District Court invalidated the state's legislative maps due to violations of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The court directed the legislature to enact replacement maps within “a reasonable period of time.” Legislative elections are scheduled for 2027.
Jan. 30 2024: A group of 12 voters filed a lawsuit challenging Louisiana’s new congressional map enacted on Jan. 22nd.
Jan. 22, 2024: The Governor signed a new congressional district map into law. The legislature passed a map featuring two majority-Black districts on January 19th ( state House 86-16 and the state Senate 27-11).
Jan. 15 2024: Newly elected Gov. Landry called the Louisiana state legislature into a special session to draw a new congressional map to comply with the court's order after the court extended the deadline to Jan. 30th.
Nov. 10 2023: The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals lifted the preliminary injunction on the congressional map without invalidating its decision that the map violated Section 2 of the VRA. Instead, the appellate court gave the legislature until Jan. 15, 2024 to enact a new map or decline. The district court would draw a remedial map in case of the latter.
Sep. 28 2023: Granting (in part) the state’s petition for a writ of mandamus, a Fifth Circuit panel canceled an Oct. 3-5 remedial District Court hearing to determine a court-ordered congressional map. Explaining its decision, the court noted that the appellate court was simultaneously hearing an appeal of the original preliminary injunction that same week and the District Court failed to give the state legislature a reasonable time to remedy the invalidated map.
Jun. 26 2023: Nearly one year later, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed the appeal in the congressional map litigation, lifted an earlier stay of the federal court's ruling, and allowed the case to proceed before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Jun. 28, 2022: The U.S. Supreme Court stayed the District Court's ruling that struck down the congressional map, meaning that the map adopted by the legislature would be used for the 2022 elections.
Jun. 17 2022: After the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated an earlier stay of the district court's ruling overturning the congressional map, state officials appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to grant a stay of the lower court decision and to hear the case on its merits.
June 6, 2022: A U.S. District Court struck down Louisiana's 2022 congressional map on grounds that it impermissibly dilutes the votes of Black voters in violation of section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act. The court ordered the legislature to enact a remedial plan on or before June 20, 2022. The decision was appealed by state officials.
Mar. 30, 2022: The legislature overrides the governor's veto and enacts the congressional map adopted on February 18, 2022.
Mar. 9 2022: Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoes the state's congressional map. The legislative maps become law without his signature on March 14th.
Feb.18 2022: The legislature approves a new congressional district map, state Senate and House district boundaries.
Feb.1 2022: The legislature convenes in a special legislative session for the purpose of redistricting.