Federal appeals court refuses to reconsider ruling on Louisiana’s congressional map

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court has refused to reconsider its ruling setting a deadline for the Louisiana Legislature to enact a new congressional map. A lower court last year found that the state’s current political boundaries dilute the power of its Black voters. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Friday denied a request by Louisiana’s Republican secretary of state and other state officials to have a larger set of judges rehear the Nov. 10 decision by a three-judge panel. That panel said if the Legislature does not pass a new map by mid-January, then the lower court should conduct a trial and decide on a plan for the 2024 elections. A lower court judge later extended the deadline.