Hurricane Katrina dramatically altered the political landscape in Louisiana, and a clear racial gap in public opinion formed regarding the governmental response to the storms. Using data from the 2005 and 2006 legislative sessions, the authors examine the changes in the legislative agenda in response to Hurricane Katrina with a focus on the role of race and district geography on these changes. They find an important influence for both district location and race on the post-Katrina agenda of disaster relief and Black-interest legislation. This article provides a look at what factors influence the introduction of a new issue to the policy agenda and highlights how a new issue can bring more attention to previously existing ones.
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