Louisiana
Federal judge strikes down Louisiana state electoral maps, orders districts redrawn
A federal judge in Louisiana struck down Louisiana state House and Senate districting maps Thursday for violating Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) and diluting Black voter power in the gulf state. Federal District Judge Shelly Dick ordered the the maps redrawn but did not give a quota for the number of majority Black districts the state needed to add instead citing the plaintiffs proffered evidence that six black majority seats in the House and three black majority seats in the Senate could be added. No timeline was given for the new maps to be redrawn but Judge Dick ordered the state be given a “reasonable amount of time” to do so.
The underlying case, Nairne v. Ardoin, alleging the state’s 2022 redistricting plans violated the VRA was first filed in March of 2022. The case languished in the courts pending the US Supreme Court’s decision in a similar voting rights case in Alabama, known as Allen v. Milligan. After the Supreme Court found an Alabama map violated of the VRA and upheld existing principles undergirding the judicial system’s analysis for racial gerrymandering, the Louisiana case was unpaused and went to trial in November 2023.
The plaintiffs specifically attacked Louisiana’s maps for engaging in “cracking” and “packing” districts to dilute Black voter power and ensure a Republican super-majority in the Louisiana legislature. Conversely, counsel for then-Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, defended the maps and attacked Section 2 of the VRA as unconstitutional. In a court filing, Ardoin said that the acts “inherently race-based remedies as applied to the facts in this matter…were not congruent and proportion…to authorize race based redistricting indefinitely.”
Ultimately, the court rejected Ardoin’s arguments as being the same as the one recently rejected in Allen. The court held that the maps gave Black voters in the district “less opportunity than other members of the electorate to participate in the political process and to elect representatives of their choice.”
The case over Louisiana’s state electoral maps comes amid a series of other case concerning congressional maps in the state and a trend of disenfranchisement cases across the Deep South. Included among the trend are cases in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and North Carolina.
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When it comes to retiring, the best places to do so often are affordable, have a high quality of life and access to quality healthcare.
If you’re looking for a place to retire, Niche has identified the best places for retirees in Louisiana.
In its list, Niche has taken into account factors like weather, crime rates, housing costs and access to amenities.
The 5 best places to retire in Louisiana according to Niche
These are the top five best places to retire in Louisiana, according to Niche.
1. Oak Hills Place
Oak Hills Place is a suburb of Baton Rouge and is the overall best place to retire in Louisiana. This suburb, located in East Baton Rouge Parish, has a population of 9,038 and offers residents an urban suburban mix feel. The area is highly rated for families, diversity, as well as health and fitness. Here, the median home value is $437,900 and the median rent is $1,422, according to Niche.
2. Westminster
Westminster is another suburb of Baton Rouge and is the second-best place to retire in Louisiana. Located in East Baton Rouge Parish, this suburb has a population of 2,559 and offers residents an urban suburban mix feel. This area is highly rated for nightlife, diversity, families, health and fitness, as well as commute. The median home value here is $266,100 and the median rent is $1,482, says Niche.
3. River Ridge
River Ridge is a suburb of New Orleans, located in Jefferson Parish, and is the third-best place to retire in Louisiana. This suburb has a population of 13,312 and offers residents a dense suburban feel. The area is highly rated for public schools, family, nightlife and diversity. The median home value is $357,400 and the median rent is $1,127, according to Niche.
4. Westlake
Westlake is a town in Calcasieu Parish that is among the best places to retire in Louisiana. With a population of 4,743, this town offers residents a rural feel. The town is highly rated for public schools, housing, families, jobs, cost of living, nightlife and weather. Here, the median home value is $166,100 and the median rent is $1,049, says Niche.
5. Prien
Prien is another town in Calcasieu Parish that is among the best places to retire in Louisiana. This town has a population of 7,119 and offers residents a suburban rural mix feel. The town is highly rated for public schools, housing, families, nightlife and weather. The median home value here is $278,000 and the median rent is $1,292, according to Niche.
Presley Bo Tyler is the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team reporter for USA Today Network. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@Gannett.com
A motorcyclist is recovering after a West Monroe crash involving an 18-wheeler, while Chevron won a Louisiana Supreme Court ruling shifting a major coastal lawsuit back to lower courts. Ouachita deputies arrested a suspect and recovered more than a dozen guns, Mississippi passed a new school social-media safety requirement, and Louisiana’s House advanced a unanimous state budget. A new recovery center opened, and multiple weekend events are underway across northeast Louisiana, plus national updates include stock-market stress guidance, a Ford F-150 recall, Spirit Airlines uncertainty, and tax-refund tips.
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