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A Louisiana court has made a decision that could change the next election in a massive way.
On Friday, a three-judge panel on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that the Louisiana Legislature must create a new congressional map by Jan. 15, 2024, Newsmax reported.
The decision came in response to a decision from a lower court that said that the current maps dilute the voting power of black residents in the state.
“The decision marks a pivotal development in Louisiana’s ongoing redistricting dispute, with potential implications for the balance of power in the state House after the 2024 elections. The appellate court nullified the 2022 ruling, deeming the preliminary injunction issued last year as no longer necessary for the urgency of establishing a map for the 2022 elections,” the report said.
“The district court’s 2022 preliminary injunction, issued with the urgency of establishing a map for the 2022 elections, is no longer necessary,” the court said.
The decision also creates a conflict between the current Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards, who may convene a special session of the legislature to redraw the maps, and his successor, Gov.-elect Jeff Landry, who may convene his own special session after his inauguration on Jan. 8, 2024.
If the legislature does not draw new maps, it could lead to a lower court trial.
Newsmax added:
In a move reflecting his concerns about the accuracy of representation, Edwards previously vetoed proposed congressional maps put forth by the Republican-controlled Legislature. He argued that the maps did not adequately reflect Louisiana’s demographic composition, where nearly 33% of residents are Black. Under the vetoed plan, the proposed districts would have resulted in only one of the state’s six districts having a majority-Black population.
Earlier attempts at redrawing were met with resistance as a federal district judge, responding to claims by a group of Black voters, issued a preliminary ruling blocking a map design alleged to violate the Voting Rights Act. The Legislature overrode Edwards’ veto, marking the first time lawmakers refused to accept a governor’s rejection of a passed bill in nearly three decades.
Republicans argued that the map was fair, asserting that the state’s Black population was too dispersed to warrant a second majority-Black district. In its ruling on Friday, the appeals court highlighted the need for the district court to assess the new plan’s alignment with the Voting Rights Act and whether another preliminary injunction is required.
Democrats have not had fantastic news as they head into the 2024 elections.
Former President Donald Trump has moved ahead of President Joe Biden in four vitally important swing states, roughly a year ahead of the 2024 election, as his election campaign hits high gear and he continues to put distance between himself and the remaining GOP primary field.
According to a survey of registered voters conducted late last week by The New York Times and Siena College, Trump is leading Biden in Nevada 52-41 percent after Biden narrowly won the state in 2020. Meanwhile, Trump also leads Biden in Georgia 49-43 percent.
“Trump leads Biden in Arizona, too, with 49% to the president’s 44%. In Michigan, Trump holds a 5-point lead as well: 48% to Biden’s 43%,” CNN reported, citing the survey.
The former president is also leading Biden in Pennsylvania, a state he won in 2016 but lost in 2020 by a 4-point margin, 48-44 percent. Trump trails Biden in Wisconsin, however, 47-45 percent.
The outlet noted further:
The latest battleground state polling underscores the considerable challenges facing Biden’s reelection bid, including low job approval ratings and questions about his age and ability to steer the country. The poll results are especially striking for Biden, given Trump’s mounting legal troubles. The former president faces 91 criminal charges across four indictments. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz downplayed the polling in a statement Sunday, telling CNN: “Predictions more than a year out tend to look a little different a year later.”
“Coming off those historic 2022 midterms, President Biden’s campaign is hard at work reaching and mobilizing our diverse, winning coalition of voters one year out on the choice between our winning, popular agenda and MAGA Republicans’ unpopular extremism. We’ll win in 2024 by putting our heads down and doing the work, not by fretting about a poll,” Munoz added.
