By Paul Anger, 2nd vice chair for PR, Jefferson Parish Democratic Executive Committee

Folks, hope you had a chance to view Thursday night’s Jeff Talk Facebook Livestream on fair redistricting hosted by Leslie H. Smith, JPDEC Chair Trey Mustian and Jeff Barrois. If not, it’s still available at https://tinyurl.com/JPDECfacebook.

A tremendous guest panel – Rep. Royce Duplessis, Louisiana Progress Director Peter Robins-Brown, LSU Manship School Professor Bob Mann and DSCC redistricting expert/activist Tammy Savoie – shared political insights and bared frustrations at how Republican legislators have ignored census changes, debased democracy and rejected the idea that all Louisianans should be able to cast meaningful votes.

The most egregious example: Republicans’ refusal to create a second majority-minority Congressional District. Instead, they’ve maintained the status quo, which crams black voters into a single district that unconscionably snakes from East Baton Rouge to New Orleans East. It’s likely that only a veto by Gov. John Bel Edwards can stop this. The Jeff Talk panel urged us to contact him.

Call his office at 866-366-1121, or go online to the Louisiana Governor’s Office and fill out an easy-to-use email form.

Republicans have ignored in redistricting hearings the eloquent pleas of many citizens – including young black voters giving heartfelt testimony. Let’s not let them down. Contact the governor now, and again, and again.