Louisiana lawmakers today will consider congressional maps that could reshape Black political representation in the state.

Why it matters: The four proposals eliminate one or both of the state's majority-Black congressional districts.

The big picture: The four maps, first reported by WDSU, redraw the state to favor Republicans.

• One proposal eliminates both majority-Black districts. Another keeps the Baton Rouge-based district, while two keep the New Orleans-based district.
• The state Senate committee convenes at 9am to hear public comment. U.S. Rep. Troy Carter says he will testify.
• Sen. Royce Duplessis urged residents in a video to show up and "be heard."

What he's saying: Republican committee chair Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter told the Louisiana Illuminator that lawmakers will likely favor keeping the Baton Rouge district while eliminating the New Orleans one.

Catch up quick: Gov. Jeff Landry says Louisiana needs a new congressional map before U.S. House elections can be held.

• He suspended the House primaries last week after absentee voting had begun and days before early voting was set to start.
• The House races still appear on early voting ballots, though Secretary of State Nancy Landry says those votes won't count.
• The ACLU and other groups are encouraging residents to "vote your entire ballot" while the legal challenges continue.

Stunning stat: The Secretary of State's office received more than 42,000 absentee ballots by the time Landry suspended the House primaries, writes Piper Hutchinson with the Illuminator.

Zoom out: Louisiana is part of a broader GOP-led push to redraw congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterms.

• Tennessee lawmakers yesterday passed a new U.S. House map that removes the state's only majority-Black district, which represented Memphis, writes Axios' Nate Rau.
• See more redistricting efforts in the South.

What's next: Early voting ends tomorrow for the May 16 party primaries. See your sample ballot.

• The new House primaries are currently scheduled for July 15, but could move.

Go deeper

👋 Carlie here. One unexpected gift of adulthood is realizing your parents are people, too.

Why it matters: As mine get older, I've become more intentional about enjoying the time we have together.

The big picture: My mom was very clearly "Mom" to my brother, sister and me growing up. She was the adult and she was in charge.

• She handled everything while my dad worked. Meals. Laundry. Discipline. Transportation.
• Looking back, it's no wonder she fell asleep on the couch during the rare moments when she sat down to "rest her eyes for a few."

Zoom in: We're grown now with our own families, and she has embraced her grandma role wholeheartedly.

• She's dispensed wisdom and helped us through broken air-conditioning units, broken bones and broken cars — often traveling from out of state to save the day.
• She's also navigated her own share of health troubles along the way.

For now, we're all healthy and happy.

• And somewhere in between caring for kids and doing the dishes, our relationship changed.
• We started having the kinds of conversations adults have — honest ones that have helped us both heal.
• I don't take that for granted.

My parents are getting older. Many of my friends are making hard choices about their parents' care or grieving the ones they've lost.

• My mom's mom died young. All my grandparents are gone.
• So I'm trying to make the most of the time we have together.
• My parents love travel shows, but my mom spent so many years sacrificing for the rest of us that she rarely got to see much herself.
• Recently, we convinced her to cross a bucket-list item off with us: Disney World. Then she got a passport and did a family trip to Cancun.

Last month, she went to Jazz Fest with me for the first time ever.

• I assumed we'd spend the day in the Gospel Tent. Instead, we wound up grooving to reggae at Congo Square — while my mom sang along with Bob Marley's son.
• Color me flabbergasted.

But maybe that's the gift of this stage of life: Realizing your parents still have surprises left in them.

• I'm grateful I'm old enough now to appreciate mine.

Between the lines: Mother's Day can be complicated.

• For those navigating grief, strained relationships or unfulfilled hopes of motherhood, I'm thinking of you and hoping you find comfort this weekend.

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🩻 Beyoncé's Met Gala outfit was reportedly inspired by New Orleans Creole artist Caroline Durieux's 1944 lithograph, "The Visitor." (BlackAmericaWeb.com)

• Several other attendees dressed as Madame X, a New Orleans woman whose portrait caused a scandal in Paris. (W Magazine)
• See more Louisiana celebrities at the gala.

💰 City Council members approved the $103 million Caesars deal. The money will go into a dedicated fund and have additional oversight. (Press release)

🏛️ Chelsey Richard Napoleon, who is now clerk of court for Orleans Parish, says she's focused on the primaries while also assessing the finances of the former criminal clerk's office. (WWL)

• Calvin Duncan continues his legal challenge to resume his elected position. (Axios)

🙏 The United Cajun Navy is heading to Mississippi to help after storms damaged hundreds of homes. (Fox 8)

🤑 Give NOLA Day raised a record $8.2 million for nonprofits across the region. (Facebook)

🤳 New Orleans A.F., the funny social media account we all love, is shutting down after 10 years. (Facebook)