Louisiana lawmakers’ failure to override vetoes sets stage for redistricting battles

For the first time in modern history, on July 20, 2021, the Louisiana Legislature convened for a veto override session. A veto session occurs when the governor disagrees with a piece of legislation and vetoes it despite the legislation’s successful passage through both the state House and Senate. Veto sessions are a rarity, not only in Louisiana, but also across the nation. Before the 2021 veto session, it had been 47 years since such a session was held in Louisiana.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, vetoed 28 bills from the 2021 session. Two of the vetoed bills sparked the override session – SB 156 by Republican Sen. Beth Mizell of Franklinton, and SB 118 by Republican Sen. Jay Morris of West Monroe.

SB 156 would have “banned transgender athletes from competing on school sports teams of their identified gender.” SB 118 would have allowed anyone 21 years of age and older to carry a concealed firearm without a permit. Both pieces of legislation are controversial issues that initially received some bipartisan support.

In the Senate, Republicans hold a supermajority with control of 27 out of 39 seats, allowing the Senate to override the veto of the sports ban and send it to the House for an override vote. However, in the House, that path was questionable because there are only 68 GOP lawmakers, two votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to override. The attempt to override the veto failed by – you guessed it – two votes in the House.

The Senate was unsuccessful in overriding the governor’s veto of the concealed-carry legislation and all of the remaining 26 vetoed bills, which meant none of these bills was sent to the House for a veto override vote. In short, after two days of heated discussions, the first veto session since 1974 ended without any vetoes being overturned.   

Though many may view this failed veto session as a complete waste of time and taxpayer money, there are underlying issues that may not be easily recognized. Redistricting is at the top of those issues. Conservative legislators must be concerned about the implications the failed attempt will have on their ability to redraw the state’s political districts without involving Edwards. Additionally, if the governor decides to veto any redistricting maps, conservatives must now question whether they could garner enough support to override that veto and cut the governor out of the political redistricting process completely.

What’s more, the divide among Republicans and Democrats could not be more apparent. This does not bode well for the citizens of Louisiana, as this state has always been at its best when there are bipartisan initiatives and cooperation from both sides.

As further evidence that the divide is real, days after the session ended, the speaker of the House removed two Democrats from leadership positions. The speaker stripped chairmanships from Democrats on the House Insurance Committee and the Transportation Committee. Those committee chairs are expected to be replaced by Republicans. The move will put GOP lawmakers in charge of 13 regular subject-matter committees, while Democrats will retain three chairmanships.

All these things leave one to question whether the override session was about the two bills mentioned above, or whether it was used as a barometer to determine the actual power of conservatives versus the authority of the governor.

Only time will tell.

Meanwhile, the impact on redistricting and its underlying racial undertones remains. I encourage anyone reading this to not only pay attention but also get involved, as this opportunity only comes once every decade. The time is now to ensure that representation is fair and equitable for all people, especially people of color.

Terry Landry is policy director for the SPLC Action Fund in Louisiana.

Photo at top: On Tuesday, July 20, 2021, state Sen. Beth Mizell, R-Franklinton, speaks during a veto override session in the Senate in Baton Rouge, La. The recent session may foreshadow a battle over redistricting.