On April 8, the Louisiana legislature blocked a bill designed to protect voter rights in the state. Senate Bill 365, titled the Louisiana Voters Right Act, or LAVRA, would have combatted voter suppression and gerrymandering efforts and helped ensure fair elections for the states nearly 3 million voters. Louisiana Senate Republicans defeated it by a single vote.

LAVRA was announced on March 18 as a collaborative effort between Power Coalition for Equity and Justice and the Legal Defense Fund. The bill primarily aimed to help voters of color who have historically faced discrimination and suppression efforts that continue to this day.

“At a time when federal protections are under threat, states have a responsibility to step up and protect the fundamental rights of their citizens. Louisiana has the opportunity to lead by ensuring that every voter, especially those historically excluded, has a fair chance to participate and be represented,” said Ashley Shelton, founder and CEO of Power Coalition for Equity and Justice during the press conference announcing the bill.

The threats mentioned by Shelton include redistricting efforts in 2022 that included only a single Black majority district, despite that demographic making up over 32% of the population of the state. That congressional map was eventually challenged and overturned in court. More recently, the NAACP and a coalition of pro-voter organizations filed a motion against the U.S. Election Assistance Commission due to the Commissions refusal to strike down new voting regulations in Louisiana. The NAACP argues that these regulations, which require additional proof of citizenship, are overly burdensome and target vulnerable members of the voting public.

LAVRA would have set a state-wide requirements for voting standards, modeled on the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Sen. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans co-sponsored the bill and spoke in favor of LAVRA at the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing.

“This bill applies equally to all voters. It does not give anyone extra rights. It ensures all voters have an equal opportunity to cast a ballot, to have it counted and have it meaningfully impact the outcome,” Duplessis said. Many progressive organizations and voters of multiple demographics also spoke in favor of the bill. Across the country, similar measures are also popular, with 78% of the voting population in support of State Voting Rights Acts.

There was no testimony offered against the bill, yet it was still defeated by a vote of 4-3. The four Republican senators who struck down the bill did so without comment.