ORLEANS PARISH SHERIFF INDICTED ON FRAUD, MALFEASANCE CHARGES 2B
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T h u r s d ay, a p r i l 30, 2026
‘A bridge to the future’
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High court rejects La. election map
Finding strikes down congressional district as improper racial gerrymander BY MARK BALLARD
the basis of race,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the majority. Creation of majority-minority disWASHINGTON — In striking down tricts are justified “only when the Louisiana’s second majority- evidence supports a strong inferBlack congressional district as an ence that the State intentionally improper racial gerrymander, the drew its districts to afford minorU.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday ity voters less opportunity because weakened but did not of their race.” “The kill the Voting Rights Louisiana legislators Act of 1965. argued that the 6th Constitution The finding in LouisiDistrict almost never Congressional was drawn to protect ana v. Callais doesn’t invalidate the landmark, permits a State the districts that elect 60-year-old law. But it to discriminate House Speaker Mike undermines the legal on the basis of Johnson, R-Benton, and Baton Rouge Repubtool that minority voters race.” have used for decades to lican Rep. Julia Letchallenge maps they arlow, formerly of Start, JUSTICE which is allowable. gue spread their voters SAMUEL ALITO, The Callais litigants, a across districts to dilute writing for the group of voters chaltheir voting power. majority “At this point, the Votlenging that map, countered that the only reaing Rights Act is not dead, but it is on life son lawmakers drew support, clearly. It’s much, much a new map in 2022 was to create harder to use now,” Michael Li, a second majority-Black district, a redistricting expert with New therefore amounted to a racial gerYork University Law School’s rymander, which is not allowed. Brennan Center for Justice. The majority found that the naBreaking along ideological lines, tion has changed since the 1960s, the six conservative justices ruled when Black voters since the end the Republican-majority Louisiana of Reconstruction were kept out of Legislature sorted voters by race, the polls through intimidation and which violates the Equal Protec- qualification tests few could pass. Now, minority voters are allowed tion clause of the Constitution. “The Constitution almost never ä See MAP, page 4A permits a State to discriminate on 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 $2.3 billion span over the Calcasieu River officially begins BY COURTNEY PEDERSEN Staff writer
After years of studies and planning, work is set to start on the new Interstate 10 bridge over the Calcasieu River in Lake Charles. At a ceremony Wednesday, officials said they hope it will be open to traffic in four years. Gov. Jeff Landry, federal government representatives and local officials in Calcasieu Parish gathered in Lake Charles to break ground on the long-awaited bridge. “This bridge was project number one for
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me after you elected me,” Landry said. “I think that today is a turning point, not only for Lake Charles, not only for Calcasieu Parish, 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 pistoldecorated bridge with one engineered to meet the changing demands. Built in 1952, the current bridge initially
ä See BRIDGE, page 7A
State officials working to understand options BY ALYSE PFEIL
Staff writer
The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling Wednesday that Louisiana’s congressional voting map is unconstitutional landed just days before voters are set to start casting ballots, raising a dilemma for state leaders: Should they push the elections back and try to draw a new map? Louisiana is set to vote on May 16 in primary elections for Congress and other offices. Early voting begins Saturday. Most state leaders said they needed time to process the court’s seismic ruling before deciding
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ä Florida Legislature completes redistricting plan. PAGE 4A what to do. “I think it’s gonna take us at least 24 hours to pore through the opinion to understand what exactly that opinion is telling us,” Gov. Jeff Landry said Wednesday morning. “Certainly the Supreme Court said it loud and clear that the current map is unconstitutional,” he said. “What our options are, we’re basically working our way through that, and I will be discussing those options with the attorney general
ä See OPTIONS, page 4A
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