Governor John Bel Edwards is behind Shreveport Representative Cedric Glover’s bill that would create an independent panel to help the Legislature with reapportionment the next time the Legislature holds a redistricting session. Edwards says 18 other states have some type of commission.
“The voters should be choosing their leaders, leaders should not be picking and choosing their voters, partisanship and self-interest can not rule the day,” said Edwards.
Edwards vetoed the Congressional District map approved by the Legislature during the redistricting session because it did not have two majority Black districts. The governor says the state’s African American voting-age population is 31% so based on basic math two of the state’s six congressional districts should be majority Black.
“Having personally witnessed redistricting process twice now, I can say the process is not working,” said Edwards.
Supporters of the Congressional district map that passed say two majority Black districts would dilute the African American vote in both districts, not producing the results sought.
Edwards allowed the redrawn maps of the House and Senate to become law without his signature. The maps do not increase majority-Black districts and a lawsuit has already been filed in federal court in Baton Rouge. Edwards says it’s disappointing and unfortunate.
“That the end result of the special session did not reflect what is right and fair and what is required by the Voting Rights Act,” said Edwards.
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