Louisiana
Louisiana judge won't block vote count for Amendments 1, 3 in March 29 election
A district judge won’t stand in the way of votes being counted in a legal challenge to two of four amendments to Louisiana’s Constitution that appear on Saturday’s ballot, but said the case can otherwise move forward.
The case, brought this month by several voter plaintiffs and the group Voice of the Experienced — which is led by formerly incarcerated people — largely objects to processes by which Amendments 1 and 3 made it to voters. It alleges lawmakers violated procedures laid out by the state constitution.
The lawsuit names Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry as a defendant. The Louisiana attorney general’s office has filed to intervene in the case.
As part of the suit, the plaintiffs asked Judge William Jorden to temporarily block votes from being counted or the amendments from taking effect. Jorden denied that request at a hearing in Baton Rouge Tuesday, saying he was not inclined to order such a block “at this 11th hour.”
But “I do believe that the constitutionality needs to be addressed, absolutely, 100%,” the judge added. Jorden did not take a position on the merits of the case, but left it open to continue for further review.
Amendment 1 concerns specialty courts and discipline for out-of-state attorneys. Amendment 3 deals with the process by which teenagers ages 14-16 can be criminally charged as adults. More on the amendments can be read here.
Here’s what we know about each amendment and how various organizations and advocacy groups feel about them.
Tuesday’s hearing primarily dealt with arguments around the request to temporarily block votes, with an attorney for the secretary of state’s office arguing that stopping the count at this point would only cause confusion and turmoil.
“You’ve messed up the administrators of the election, you’ve messed up voters, you’ve messed up everybody,” the attorney, Celia Cangelosi, said.
Going forward, some discussions of affidavits already entered into the case and other filings suggest it will wade into discussions of arcane legislative protocol. Those include the allegations around the constitutionality of the amendments.
In addition to procedural concerns, the suit contends, in part, that Amendment 1 violates a principle called the “single object” rule — essentially, that it is trying to do more than is permitted without being a revision of a full constitutional article.
This is the second lawsuit brought against the amendments up for a vote this month. Last week, Louisiana’s Supreme Court tossed a lawsuit that took aim at Amendment 2, a change concerning the tax code and teacher pay that has generated public interest.
The Louisiana Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit that sought to block a constitutional amendment–which would change the state’s tax code and raise teacher pay–from appearing on the March 29 ballot.
The case against Amendments 1 and 3 now continues in the same courtroom, with the goal of invalidating them. If voters don’t sign off on the amendments, however, it would likely be moot.
This story was produced by the Gulf States Newsroom, a collaboration between Mississippi Public Broadcasting, WBHM in Alabama, WWNO and WRKF in Louisiana and NPR.
A state lawmaker whose district includes Iberville and nine other parishes will lead the way on the drawing of a new congressional map when the committee convenes Friday.
Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, R-Port Allen, will chair the hearings to draw a new congressional district map. He currently serves as chairman of the U.S. Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee.
On Wednesday, Kleinpeter said he has not worked on any maps. He is letting the committee members and the members of the Senate work on this with staff.
The move will come nine days after the U.S. Supreme Court on a 6-3 vote ruled one of Louisiana’s two majority-Black U.S. House districts unconstitutional.
“We can’t base it on race anymore, so the minority party is the Democrats,” he said. “The Democrats have migrated away from the New Orléans area, so we’re looking at Democrats versus Republicans, so the minority party — the Democrats — which means it’s more favored toward Baton Rouge.”
The move would work in favor of incumbent 6th District Congressman Cleo Fields, who was a candidate for the race which Gov. Jeff Lndry suspended in the wake of the Supreme Court decision.
The ruling stemmed from Louisiana vs. Callais – a consolidation of Robinson vs. Callais – that centered on racial gerrymandering and redistricting in the state of Louisiana following the 2020 United States census. The lead plaintiff, Phillip “Bert” Callais, is a resident of Brusly.
The Supreme Court vote came despite the African American population comprising nearly one-third of the state’s population.
According to the 2020 Census, the Black or African American population in Louisiana was approximately 1,464,023,representing 31.4%of the state’s total population. Louisiana has one of the highest percentages of Black residents in the United States, ranking second behind Mississippi.
The Baton Rouge district would likely be the area to undergo the remap, he said.
It amounts to an intricate balancing act.
“What far-right Republicans don’t understand is that with Congress maps, you have to be within 776, 280 votes – within 50 votes of the other districts,” Kleinpeter said. “It’s not like our legislative maps where you can be off by thousands … when you start changing a precinct, it can run down a rabbit hole chasing this precinct over here and over there.
“We can easily draw a really strong nine Republican and one strong Democrat, so if you start watering districts down you could wind up with a 4-2 map.”
Republicans currently have a two-vote super majority vote.
“But some Republican districts are strong and others are weak,” Kleinpeter said. “If you take 58 percent Democrats and put them in Republican districts, you could end up losing Republicans.
“Drawing congress maps is very difficult – you have the leader of the party, and you have the Speaker of the House you have to protect,” he said. “You don’t want to jeopardize their maps at hole.”
One other issue is looming for the state, Kleinpeter said.
“What people don’t understand is that we will have to do this all over again in five years, after the next census comes out,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll people by that time.”
The 2030 Census will play a key role in the process, but it still requires participation.
“I had plenty of next-door neighbors who didn’t want to fill out their census” he said. “I’m going to push to fill out their census. We miss out on federal money and potentially risk losing a seat. “
Neuty, the iconic Bucktown nutria visits the state capitol, with Myra Lacoste, Denny Lacoste, Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, Dennis Lacoste Sr., and Louisiana state Senator J. Cameron Henry Jr. Neuty was an orphan, rescued by the Lacostes. In March 2023, LDWF agents attempted to confiscate the illegal pet.
VIDALIA, La. — Louisiana State Police arrested 18-year-old Gregory Steele early Sunday morning on two counts of vehicular homicide, one count of underage operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, one count vehicular negligent injuring and one count careless operation, according to Concordia Parish Jail records.
Steele, 18, a white male, was arrested in connection with an accident that occurred at approximately 1:54 a.m. on Sunday morning on Minorca Road in Vidalia. Two passengers in the vehicle were killed. Steele and another passenger were able to escape the vehicle.
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