Legislators, both Republicans and Democrats, are looking to readdress the election lines that were supposed to be drawn during the special redistricting session that adjourned Wednesday. In fact, there are already 20 bills filed to do just that during the regular session that convenes one week from today. Although the House and Senate leadership took a hands-off approach to the courts this go around, freshman Rep. Dalton W. Honoré, D-Baton Rouge, is pushing to create an additional minority bench in the 32nd Judicial District Court. His House Bill 582 would take effect after the next retirement of a judge from the south central Louisiana district. As expected, a number of lawmakers will also be advocating changes to the congressional map approved by Gov. Bobby Jindal last week. In revising the former seven districts into six, as mandated by new census numbers for the state, it stretches Baton Rouge’s 6th Congressional District as far south as northern Terrebonne-Lafourche. Rep. Damon Baldone, D-Houma, has filed House Bill 525 to take the local congressional district all the way to the coastline, thus containing all of Terrebonne-Lafourche again, rather than splitting the two coastal parishes.
Sen. Lydia Jackson, D-Shreveport, wants another bite at congressional redistricting as well. Her Senate Bill 193 resurrects her vision of two horizontal districts for north Louisiana, one of which would be heavily influenced by minority voters. —Jeremy Alford
