NEW ORLEANS (press release) – The Urban League of Louisiana applauds today’s Supreme Court decision in Allen v. Milligan and calls on Governor John Bel Edwards to immediately call the Louisiana Legislature into Special Session to redraw Louisiana’s electoral maps. The Court’s decision in Milligan to affirm the Alabama District Court’s determination that plaintiffs demonstrated a reasonable likelihood of success on their claim that HB1 violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act is a both morally correct and legally sound.
The Milligan decision is a breath of fresh air to the Urban League of Louisiana and the many advocates fighting to redraw the State’s proposed electoral maps, following the 2020 Census, to ensure that Black residents have fair representation. It should be noted that advocates seeking a reasonable and equitable electoral map are aligned with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires political processes in a State to be equally open such that minority voters do not have less opportunities than other members of the electorate.
The Urban League of Louisiana is hopeful that our State Legislature will see the writing on the wall, abandon the racially discriminatory maps it drew in 2022, and grant black residents of our state a second congressional seat which is due based on population. To delay action any further in Louisiana would be another clear sign of overt efforts to weaken black voting power by unfairly denying black voters an opportunity to fully participate in the electoral process.
Today’s ruling is another sign of the power of advocacy and collective strength. We applaud the continued leadership of the Power Coalition, NAACP Louisiana State Conference, Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, the Legal Defense Fund, and others. We remain committed to this fight with all of our partners in Louisiana and across the county.
