BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – The two top members of the Louisiana legislature is asking a federal judge for more time to draw up congressional maps that add a majority second Black district.
Chief Judge Shelly Dick has set a hearing for Thursday morning at 9 a.m. to hear the requests from Louisiana House Speaker Clay Schexnayder and Louisiana Senate President Page Cortez.
Last week Judge Dick ruled the Congressional map drawn by the Louisiana legislature violates the Voting Rights Act and must be reworked by June 20. Schexnayder & Cortez is asking for the deadline to be extended at least until June 30.
Over the weekend a federal appeals court lifted its hold on Judge Dick’s ruling, meaning the special session called by Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards can move forward.
The special session is scheduled to start at noon on Wednesday and has to end by 6 p.m. on June 20.