The Nation - News from May 31, 1989

The Louisiana House killed a bill that would have abolished state affirmative action programs, handing state Rep. David Duke, a former Ku Klux Klan leader, his first legislative defeat since winning his seat in a special election in February. Duke, a Republican from Metairie, branded the House action as “cowardice.” The measure, which also would have banned state contract set-aside programs for minorities, had been approved by a House committee, but the full House voted 44 to 41 in a procedural move to table the bill, effectively killing it. The motion to table was made by Rep. Mitch Landrieu, a New Orleans Democrat whose district contains a large percentage of blacks. Duke vowed to fight to have his measure tacked onto another bill as an amendment.