The Louisiana Legislature votes to override Governor John Bel Edwards’ veto of a Congressional map that would largely maintain the status quo.
The final vote in the House was 72 to 31, while the Senate voted 27-11, almost exclusively along party lines.
Edwards vetoed the Congressional map on the grounds that it did not adequately represent the state’s Black population. Currently, Blacks make up about one-third of the state’s population, but only one of the state’s six Congressional districts is majority-minority.
House Speaker Clay Schexnayder released a statement in the wake of the first veto override in decades.
"For the first time in history, the Louisiana Legislature overrode a gubernatorial veto during a veto session. Today, the overwhelming will of the legislature was heard. House Bill 1 fulfills our constitutionally mandated duty to redistrict congress. It also shows true legislative independence and a clear separation of power from the executive branch."
The issue is likely to head to the courts as opponents of the map say it violates voting rights laws.
