Corridor political districts could soon be unrecognizable

Every 10 years, the feds sweep into Louisiana to study the possibility of yanking the rug from under a few select members of Congress and the state Legislature. Such reshufflings have ended careers, given birth to new ones and confused voters to no end. It’s a political headache known as the U.S. Census, which resurfaces again next year. While it chiefly will be the responsibility of the Legislature to draw the updated congressional district lines in 2011, special interests and constituencies from every nook and cranny and the democratic process are already jockeying for input. Since population estimates fuel the fire, you probably won’t be surprised to discover that South Louisiana — the region ravaged by practically back-to-back hurricane seasons the past decade — has been targeted for the most substantive changes. And few politicos can relay that story better than U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville. To read the full story, click here. For the rest of 10/12 Weekly, click here.—Jeremy Alford