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New Orleans faith leaders recommit to voter registration efforts after redistricting, homeless laws.New Orleans faith leaders recommit to voter registration efforts after redistricting, homeless laws NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - A coalition of New Orleans faith leaders gathered Tuesday (June 9), committing to get more voters involved in Louisiana politics.Their pledge follows a legislative session that saw Louisiana Republicans eliminate one of the state’s two majority-Black congressional districts.Dozens gathered inside Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church near the French Quarter.Faith leaders from various denominations assembled before the church’s altar.“We gather to issue a moral statement to defend human dignity and civil rights,” said Father Anthony Rigoli, pastor of the church.The Communities of Hope Interfaith Coalition members said they are challenging recent decisions they say “unjustly gerrymander the state, depriving Louisianans of their right to political representation.” Bishop Kevin Boyd said, “Our presence here today is saying we understand what’s been signed (by Gov.Jeff Landry), but we also understand that we are going to lead and provoke God’s people to take a stand.And even the decision-makers are going to have to give some credence to the fact that you’re not going to continue to make decisions that do not represent the majority of the people in our state, period.” The author of the bill that redrew Louisiana’s electoral district map, Sen.Jay Morris (R-West Monroe) has called it fair.The move followed the U.S.Supreme Court striking down Louisiana’s previous map, that the high court said relied too heavily on race in establishing a Black-majority 6th Congressional District.The new map is expected to help the GOP win another seat in Congress in the fall, turning a 4-2 Republican edge to 5-1 in the state’s delegation.“I’m for Republican ideas and Republican principles and limited government, lower taxes, less regulation, secure borders,” Morris said.“And I want Congress people who advance those types of interests, regardless of their skin color,” The religious leaders gathered Tuesday signed what they called a “moral statement” and pledged actions will follow.“We mean that every congregation in Communities of Hope and among this collaboration is going to be establishing, organizing ministries within its churches, to take up that work of registering and encouraging people to vote,” said Joe Givens, who heads the organization.The group also takes issue with legislators passing a new bill that criminalizes sleeping on public property.“The homeless, the immigrant, those who seek fair representation in civic government feel marginalized,” said Father Pat Williams, Vicar General for the Archdiocese of New Orleans.The coalition has spoken out before, most recently in January when federal Border Patrol and ICE agents were conducting large-scale immigration raids in the Greater New Orleans area.It continues to call for fair treatment of immigrants.“Protect immigrant communities from unlawful detention, family separation and deportation without due process,” said Paige Davis, of the St.Charles Center for Faith + Action.The group also is calling on elected officials, institutions and fellow citizens to uphold the U.S.Constitution, reject and denounce white nationalist ideology and all forms of racial, ethnic and religious bigotry.See a spelling or grammar error in our story?Click Here to report it.Please include the headline.Subscribe to the Fox 8 YouTube channel.Copyright 2026 WVUE.All rights reserved.