THE
ACADIANA
ADVOCATE
T H E A C A D I A N A A D V O C AT E.C O M
|
T h u r s d ay, a p r i l 30, 2026
$2.00X
High court rejects La. election map Finding strikes down congressional district as improper racial gerrymander
BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer
WASHINGTON — In striking down Louisiana’s second majorityBlack congressional district as an improper racial gerrymander, the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday weakened but did not kill the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The finding in Louisiana v. Callais doesn’t invalidate the landmark, 60-year-old law. But it undermines the legal tool that minority voters have used for decades to challenge
maps they argue spread their voters across districts to dilute their voting power. “At this point, the Voting Rights Act is not dead, but it is on life support, clearly. It’s much, much harder to use now,” Michael Li, a redistricting expert with New York University Law School’s Brennan Center for Justice. Breaking along ideological lines, the six conservative justices ruled the Republican-majority Louisiana Legislature sorted voters by race, which violates the Equal Protec-
INSIDE
ation of majority-minority districts are justified “only when the ä Louisiana leaders looking evidence supports a strong inferto understand what’s next after ence that the State intentionally drew its districts to afford minordecision. Page 4A ity voters less opportunity because ä Florida Legislature completes of their race.” redistricting plan. Page 4A Louisiana legislators argued that the 6th Congressional District was drawn to protect the districts that elect House Speaker Mike Johntion clause of the Constitution. “The Constitution almost never son, R-Benton, and Baton Rouge permits a State to discriminate on Republican Rep. Julia Letlow, forthe basis of race,” Justice Samuel merly of Start, which is allowable. Alito wrote for the majority. Cre- The Callais litigants, a group of
‘A bridge to the future’
voters challenging that map, countered that the only reason lawmakers drew a new map in 2022 was to create a second Black majority district, therefore amounted to a racial gerrymander, which is not allowed. The majority found that the nation has changed since the 1960s, when Black voters since the end of Reconstruction were kept out of the polls through intimidation and qualification tests few could pass. Now, minority voters are allowed to register and vote without clearing hurdles, Alito pointed out.
ä See MAP, page 4A
Negotiations over Comeaux suit underway Lafayette School Board to return to court on Tuesday to present settlement BY CLAIRE TAYLOR
Staff writer
STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK
Gov. Jeff Landry speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Interstate 10 Calcasieu River Bridge in Lake Charles on Wednesday at the Lakefront Promenade.
Work on new $2.3B Calcasieu River Bridge project officially begins BY COURTNEY PEDERSEN
Gov. Jeff Landry, federal government representatives and local officials in Calcasieu Parish gathered in After years of studies and planning, Lake Charles to break ground on the work is set to start on the new Inter- long-awaited bridge. “This bridge was project number state 10 bridge over the Calcasieu one for me after you elected me,” River in Lake Charles. At a ceremony Wednesday, officials Landry said. “I think that today is said they hope it will be open to traffic a turning point, not only for Lake Charles, not only for Calcasieu Parin four years.
Staff writer
WEATHER HIGH 81 LOW 64 PAGE 8A
ish, but it marks a turning point for the entire state. I’ve been trying to break as many records as I can. This is going to be the largest infrastructure project to date.” The $2.3 billion public-private partnership project is set to replace the current pistol-decorated bridge with
ä See BRIDGE, page 5A
The public won’t know until next week, but it appears negotiations are in the works to resolve a lawsuit against the Lafayette Parish School Board over how it voted to close Comeaux High School. On Wednesday afternoon, after hearing testimony from five people, Lafayette District Judge Valerie Gotch-Garrett ordered the School Board to post a public notice that a special board meeting will take place Monday. At Monday’s meeting, the board will go into executive session to discuss the details of the potential settlement and return to Gotch-Garrett’s court at Touchet 8:30 a.m. Tuesday to present the settlement. The board is sequestered for court and prohibited from discussing the issue except in executive session. Attorneys would not disclose details of the potential settlement on Wednesday. Gotch-Garrett said she is “glad y’all are securing peoples’ jobs.” The judge said if she is not satisfied with the agreement presented Tuesday, she will continue Wednesday’s hearing next week. Lafayette schools Superintendent Francis Touchet and School Board President Hannah Smith Mason testified Wednesday that they were unaware the board was required to hold a public hearing before it voted March 12 to close Comeaux High School. They were among those testifying in a lawsuit that seeks to overturn the March 12 vote. Touchet said he did not follow an administrative rule that outlines the process for closing a school because he didn’t know the rule existed until the lawsuit was filed. On nine questions posed by Bryan Blackwell, attorney for residents who filed the lawsuit,
Business ...................10C Commentary ................3B Nation-World ................2A Classified .....................6A Deaths .........................4B Opinion ........................2B Comics-Puzzles .....7C-9C Living............................5C Sports ..........................1C
ä See COMEAUX, page 5A
101ST yEAR, NO. 304