Republican senators in Louisiana advanced a redistricting plan Wednesday that would eliminate one of the state's two majority-Black congressional districts, following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down the current House map as an illegal racial gerrymander.

The Senate committee vote occurred in the early morning hours after extensive testimony from Black residents and Democrats who opposed the redistricting effort. Republicans chose not to pursue a more aggressive approach that could have targeted both Democratic-held seats for elimination.

The Louisiana action is part of a broader redistricting wave following a recent Supreme Court decision that weakened federal Voting Rights Act protections for minorities. Republican-controlled legislatures in several Southern states are now moving to redraw districts with large minority populations that have historically elected Democrats.

Tennessee and Alabama have already implemented new House maps that could help Republicans gain additional seats, while a similar effort failed in the South Carolina Senate on Tuesday. The redistricting efforts represent the latest phase in a 10-month national redistricting battle that has involved approximately one-third of all states.

The redistricting push gained momentum when President Donald Trump encouraged Texas Republicans to redraw House districts to win more seats in midterm elections. Democrats in California responded with their own redistricting efforts, prompting numerous other Republican states to follow suit.

Republican strategists estimate they could gain as many as 15 House seats from new maps across Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, Tennessee and Alabama. Democrats project they could gain six seats from redistricting in California and Utah, though the Virginia Supreme Court last week struck down a Democratic redistricting effort that could have yielded four additional competitive seats.