Today, the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, the ACLU Voting Rights Practice, American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, Louisiana State Conference of the NAACP, and Power Coalition for Equity and Justice submitted written testimony regarding congressional redistricting to the Louisiana Committee on House and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Senate Governmental Affairs in advance of the upcoming roadshow. The coalition’s testimony came in response to remarks made by Chair Stefanski at a November 22 press conference about potential objections to drawing a second majority-Black opportunity district. Rep. Stefanski’s comments misinterpret federal and state law and misconstrue the Coalition maps, and the testimony submitted by the coalition corrects those inaccuracies and provides further guidance on the committee’s obligation to comply with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Below are examples of Rep. Stefanski’s inaccuracies addressed in LDF’s letter:
Read the full letter and view the coalition’s maps here.
LDF has been closely monitoring the redistricting processes in Louisiana and other key states to prevent discriminatory redistricting plans and ensure that legislatures comply with their obligations under the Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Constitution. Read more about LDF’s redistricting work here.
###
Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization. LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Follow LDF on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.