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BVM Guide to Community Power Day at the Capitol
March 18, 2026 | Black Voters Matter – South Louisiana
What's Inside
  • Tentative agenda. An overview of today's schedule is included so you know where the group is gathering, when to be in committee rooms, and how the day flows from start to finish.
  • How to get around. Maps of Capitol Park and the Capitol building are included, along with room locations for every committee meeting happening today. You won't have to guess where to go.
  • How the Capitol works. There is a guide to entering the building, navigating the committee rooms, and understanding the rules, such as what is allowed, what isn't, and how to move through the space with confidence.
  • How to participate. You have two ways to go on record in any committee: testify or submit a witness card. Both count. Both become part of the permanent public record. The guide walks you through exactly how to do either one.
  • The full committee schedule. Every House and Senate committee meeting for today is listed with times and room numbers, so you can plan where to be and when.
  • Bill overviews for every committee. For each bill on today's agenda, you will find plain-language breakdowns of what law is being changed, what that change does mechanically, what happens in practice, and what the impact is on Black and marginalized communities. That last column is the one to read.
  • SB 365: Louisiana Voting Rights Act. This bill gets its own page because it deserves one. It is one of the most significant pieces of legislation moving through this session, and a big part of why we are here today. Read it before you walk into that room.
How to Use It
You don't have to do everything. Pick the committee most relevant to your community's work and go deep there. If you can, split up and cover multiple rooms, then connect afterward to share what you heard.
The bill overviews are organized by committee. Find your room, follow along, and use the "Impact on Black and Marginalized Communities" column to stay grounded in why any of this matters beyond the legislative language.
Take notes. What you observe today feeds directly into our session tracking, partner communications, and community reporting. Nothing you see in those rooms is too small to write down.
This is your house. ACT LIKE IT!
These hearings are public. The people sitting at those committee tables work for the same constituents you are organizing. Don't let the marble and the formality make you feel like a guest.

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General Information
  • Tentative Schedule
  • Capitol Maps
  • Information on the Louisiana Voting Rights Act
  • Guidance on Entering the Capitol
  • Guidance on Supporting and Opposing Bills

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Tentative Schedule

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Today is centered around SB 365: The Louisiana Voting Rights Act
What Is SB 365?
SB 365 would create the Louisiana Voting Rights Act, a state law that prohibits voter suppression and vote dilution on the basis of race, color, or language minority status. Louisiana doesn't currently have its own voting rights law. That's what this bill fixes.
It does three things:
  • It bans voter suppression. No state agency or political subdivision could implement any election policy or practice that results in, or is likely to result in, material disparities in voter participation or access for protected class members. You don't have to prove intent. If the effect is there, the violation is there.
  • It bans vote dilution. No political subdivision could use any method of election that has the effect of diluting the political power of protected class members. That includes redistricting, at-large systems, and any other structural mechanism that waters down Black and minority voting strength.
  • It creates real enforcement. The bill establishes the Louisiana Voting Rights Commission, which would require certain political subdivisions with histories of discrimination to get approval before changing their election policies. Individuals and organizations could also take legal action, and when they win, they can recover attorneys' fees.
Why It Matters
The federal Voting Rights Act has been gutted. Two Supreme Court decisions, Shelby County v. Holder in 2013 and Brnovich v. DNC in 2021, stripped away most of the federal protections that communities like ours depended on for decades. So, we can't wait on Washington. SB 365 is a state-level answer, rooted in Louisiana law, which means federal courts can't touch it the same way. For Black communities across South Louisiana—in Orleans, East Baton Rouge, St. Landry, Iberia, Calcasieu, and St. James—this is about power. Who gets to vote. Whether those votes actually count. Whether the maps are drawn to include us or erase us.
Read the Bill
What You Can Do Today
Be visible
Your presence matters. Legislators and their staff notice when rooms are full.
Submit a green card
You don't have to testify to go on record. Find a green witness card in the committee room, fill it out with your name and organization, and submit it in support of SB 365. That signature becomes part of the permanent public record, and it counts.
Testify if you can
Notify the committee chair or secretary before the meeting starts. State your name, your organization, and one clear reason this bill matters to your community. Keep it short, focused, and real.
Talk to people
If you know anyone connected to the bill's Senate sponsors, make sure they hear from your community today, not next week.

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Capitol Park Map

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Capitol Building Map

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Guide to the Louisiana Capitol
Entering the Capitol
  • Please limit items that may set off a metal detector/X-ray machine or require a detailed bag search (such as extra jewelry and large bags). These items will delay your entry into the Capitol.
  • No weapons of any kind are allowed inside the Capitol building.
  • Spaces open to the public include Memorial Hall, designated areas in the House/Senate Chambers, the House Dining Hall on the ground floor, and committee rooms when meetings are scheduled. The observation deck/gift shop on the 27th floor is accessible by elevator and is also open to the public.
  • Access to individual offices in the Capitol is restricted and security-card enabled.
  • To preserve order and decorum, cameras in committee rooms and chambers during legislative meetings are limited to use by legislatively credentialed media ONLY.
  • Restrooms and vending machines are available near the committee room hallways in the foyer of the ground floor. Water fountains are available near the restrooms, as well as in Bigby Hall and in Duval Hall. Restrooms and water fountains are also available in Alario and Memorial Halls.
Committee Meetings: Locations and Rules
Location
House committee meetings are held in Committee Rooms 1-6.
  • Rooms 1 & 2 are located on the ground floor in Bigby Hall.
  • Rooms 3-6 are located in Alario Hall down a set of steps at the end of Bigby Hall. An elevator is available.
  • Senate Committee Rooms A-B, C, E, and F are located on the ground floor in Duval Hall. Access to the John Hainkel Committee Room is down a set of steps at the end of Duval Hall. An elevator is available.
Rules
  • You may not approach the desk or dais to speak to committee members.
  • Please place ALL cell phones and other electronic devices on silent/vibrate mode. You may take phone calls in the hallway only, not in committee rooms.
  • Food and drinks are prohibited in committee hallways and committee rooms.
Taken from "A Citizen's Guide to the Louisiana Capitol"

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PARTICIPATING IN Committee Meetings
The committee process gives you the opportunity to inform legislators about your position on pending legislation. However, because of time limits and the number of people who may want to testify, it is recommended that groups appoint a spokesperson when possible.
HOW TO SUPPORT OR OPPOSE A BILL
Your oral and written comments and positions stated on the cards are important and become part of the permanent public record. Thank you for your opinion.
Option 1: Testify
  • Notify the committee chair or secretary before the meeting starts if you want to testify.
  • Complete and submit a red or green witness card depending on your position, and check the appropriate box on the card to testify.
  • Understand you will be under oath once you sign the witness card and begin testifying.
  • State your full name and the group, organization, or company you represent (if any).
  • Keep your remarks brief, focused, and respectful as time may be limited.
Option 2: Submit a Card
  • You do not have to speak in committee to register your support or opposition to a bill. Green cards indicate support, red cards opposition, and white cards are if you wish to provide factual information only.
  • These witness cards are available in the committee room and overflow rooms on the witness tables.
  • Carefully read, fill out, and sign the back of the witness card.
  • Your signature is an oath that you will tell the truth.
  • Important Note: You must fill out a separate card for each bill you are supporting or opposing.
Card Examples
GREEN CARDS INDICATE SUPPORT FOR A BILL
RED CARDS INDICATE OPPOSITION TO A BILL

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House Bills Up for Floor DeBate

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Sceduled for House floor debate today: 2:00 PM

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Committee Meeting Bill Overviews
House Committees
Senate Committees

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House Committee Bills

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House Education Committee
9:00 a.m.
Room 1

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House Governmental Affairs
9:00 a.m.
Room 2

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House Insurance
9:00 a.m.
Room 3

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House Natural Resources & Environment
9:00 a.m.
Room 4

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House Criminal Justice
10:00 a.m.
Room 6

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House Health and Welfare
10:00 a.m.
Room 3

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Senate Meeting Bills

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Senate Health and Welfare
9:00 a.m.
Hainkel Room

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Senate Transportation, Highways, & Public Works
1:00 p.m.
Room E

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Senate Labor & Industrial Relations
1:00 p.m.
Room C

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Senate Education
9:00 A.m.
Room E

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