KEY TAKEAWAYS: U.S. Supreme Court fast-tracks ruling, removing waiting period for action. Court found Louisiana‘s 6th Congressional District unconstitutional racial gerrymander. Gov. Jeff Landry suspends May 16 U.S. House elections pending new map. Lawmakers begin process to redraw map, pote ntially altering Black-majority districts.   The U.S. Supreme Court has fast-tracked Louisiana’s effort to draw a new congressional map to increase Republican favored seats by waiving the normal waiting period for its decision to take full effect. On April 30, the court ruled that Louisiana’s congressional map is unconstitutional because the boundaries for the majority-Black 6th Congressional District represented by Democrat Cleo Fields constitute an illegal racial gerrymander. That prompted Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry to suspend the state’s six May 16 U.S. House elections until the Legislature can draw a new map. Republican lawmakers, who hold super majorities in the state House and Senate, are expected to eliminate at least one, and conceivably both, of its majority-Black districts that favor Democrats. Louisiana’s other majority-Black district, the 2nd District, its represented by Democratic Congressman Troy Carter. The Supreme Court’s emergency rule issued Monday orders lower courts to apply its April 30 decision immediately. Louisiana Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill said the court’s Monday ruling “removed the usual waiting period and ensured that there is nothing preventing Louisiana from acting now to adopt a new, constitutional map and set new dates for the election.” “We are moving forward immediately to ensure the constitutional rights of our citizens are protected and to fix the unconstitutional map,” Murrill said in a statement. “Louisiana is continuing to follow the law.” Lawmakers are set to conduct their first public hearing on a new map in the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee on Friday. Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA Today Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1. This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Supreme Court expedites Louisiana Republicans’ effort to draw new map Reporting by Greg Hilburn, Shreveport Times / Shreveport Times USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect ...read more read less