Louisiana Spotlight

The Hard Line: Redistricting

The battle lines are drawn as Louisiana grapples with the question of legislative representation. The issue of redistricting was taken up in two legislative sessions that ended in votes, vetoes, overrides, and ultimately, lawsuits. Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB) explores the difficult process of drawing congressional voting maps with a new program, Louisiana Spotlight: The Hard Line, airing Monday, April 25, 2022 at 8:00pm statewide on LPB and Wednesday, April 27 at 8:00pm in New Orleans on WLAE-TV.

The program explores the history of redistricting in Louisiana and how gerrymandering and the Voting Rights Act affect the process. And while the congressional map is making all the headlines, LPB looks at all redistricted maps in this episode. Helping us explore the issues are:

Rep. Royce Duplessis (D) New Orleans – Vice Chair of House and Governmental Affairs Committee

Jared Evans – NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Policy Council

Sen. Cleo Fields (D) Baton Rouge – Longtime legislator who faced his own redistricting fight

Sen. Sharon Hewitt (R) Slidell – Chair of the Senate & Governmental Affairs Committee

Steven Procopio, Ph.D. – Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, President

Bruce Reilly – Voters Organized to Educate, Deputy Director

Rep. John Stefanski (R) Crowley – Chair of House & Governmental Affairs Committee

Louisiana Spotlight is the evolution of the longstanding LPB public affairs program Louisiana Public Square. This new format allows viewers to explore complex issues in a deeper, more personal way, with stories told by the very people facing the challenges head-on.