Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Louisiana v. Callais, asking the justices to rule that redistricting based on race violates the Constitution. The Court has set re-argument for Oct. 15, 2025.
Murrill’s filing states that Louisiana will not defend Senate Bill 8 on the question the Court posed for re-argument: whether race-based redistricting is constitutional. “My answer: it is not. Our Constitution sees neither black voters nor white voters; it sees only American voters,” Murrill said. She said Solicitor General Benjamin Aguiñaga will argue for the state.
SB8 is the congressional plan the Legislature enacted in January 2024 after federal courts pressed the state to draw a second district in which Black voters form a majority. The plan was used in 2024 after emergency action from the Supreme Court, then was struck down by a three-judge court; the Supreme Court later ordered re-argument on broader questions.
Murrill’s brief argues that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act has been interpreted to require the use of race in drawing districts and asks the Court to reconsider its redistricting precedents.
What it means for Madison Parish
Under both the 2022 congressional map (Act 5 of the 2022 first extraordinary session) and SB8 (Act 2 of the 2024 first extraordinary session), Madison Parish is in the 5th Congressional District, currently represented by Julia Letlow. If the Supreme Court changes the legal standard or rejects SB8, the lines could change again, but Madison Parish’s placement will likely remain the same. Changes will depend on any new plan the state adopts after the ruling. No change is certain until the Court rules and the state acts.
