BATON ROUGE, La. - A pivotal bill aimed at creating a second Black majority district within the Louisiana Supreme Court map faced a setback as the Louisiana Legislature’s Second Extraordinary Session unfolded. House Bill 22 (HB22), authored by State Representative Mike Johnson of Pineville, failed to advance past a La. Senate committee on February 27.
HB22 gained traction after the previous district map was deemed in violation of the Civil Rights Voting Act. Despite securing a resounding 97-6 passage in the Louisiana House of Representatives on Feb. 23, the bill faltered in the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee, where it was deferred by a 5-3 vote.
In the committee hearing, State Rep. Johnson underscored Governor Jeff Landry’s directives for the special session, emphasizing the legislative responsibility to approve settlements about ongoing litigation. Johnson articulated, “It doesn’t give us any leeway to change the agreement because we’re not, as a body, part of that agreement, but to fail to do so will keep this litigation going.”
Attorney General Liz Murill, endorsing the settlement, highlighted the approval of the proposed map by five out of seven La. Supreme Court members. Despite dissent from Chief Justice John Weimer and Associate Justice Scott Crichton, Murill defended the settlement as conducive to efficient resource allocation and legal preservation.
However, opposition surfaced, with State Senator Gary Carter expressing apprehension over potential delegation of legislative authority. Carter questioned whether the bill implied a transfer of powers to external entities if lawmakers failed to endorse the map.
State Sen. Cleo Fields, chairing the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee, affirmed the opportunity for amendments but clarified that HB22's fate hinged on committee consensus to proceed with map adoption.
Although HB22 floundered in the crime-focused special session, it remains viable for discussion during the impending Regular Legislative Session commencing on March 11. The special session must conclude by March 6 at 6 p.m., setting the stage for continued deliberations on crucial electoral redistricting initiatives.