A proposed new Louisiana House District map would move a Black-majority district from central Louisiana to New Orleans’ Mid-City Neighborhood. The district being eliminated is currently occupied by Natchitoches Representative Kenny Cox who is not happy about the proposal.
“It’s like you threw a land mine into my district and blew it into pieces as represented by five different people,” said Cox.
The House Governmental Affairs Committee is expected to approve this GOP drawn map Wednesday.
Republicans say a new House district is needed in New Orleans, because of population growth in the Big Easy, while fewer residents live in the Natchitoches area. Cox is term-limited and the former Army officer says it’s difficult to see his district eliminated.
“I didn’t think this would bother me, because I’ve been to war and I’ve had to do a whole lot of killing and whole a lot of others, but this bothered me more and I have not been able to rest,” said Cox.
Cox says his district will be broken up and become five different districts under the House map plan up for consideration. He’s concerned about what this will mean for the minority vote in the Natchitoches area.
“When you divide our people up like that, you now give me 20-percent here, 25-percent right there, there’s no representation, they don’t have any right, so this is voter suppression, I’m telling you what it’s going to be,” said Cox.
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