PAR wants politics out of redistricting

An independent, bipartisan commission – and not the Louisiana Legislature – should redraw congressional district lines to minimize what is sure to be a political and racially charged process, the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana recommends. In a report issued yesterday, the public watchdog agency suggests Louisiana follow the lead of 18 other states in removing legislatures from the impending redistricting process after the 2010 Census. “Entrusting redistricting to an independent body that will not benefit directly from the lines drawn clearly is a better option in terms of enhancing citizen confidence and building a legacy of public trust,” PAR writes in its 24-page report, “Redistricting 2010: Reforming the Process of Distributing Political Power.” The council calls for a commission of three Democrats, three Republicans and three non-aligned members to be named by the presidents of the state’s private colleges and universities. As PAR notes, the 2010 redistricting is sure to be hugely controversial, and Louisiana will be on a tight, five-month timeline to ready maps for the 2011 legislative elections. Louisiana is expected to lose a congressional seat since its population has dropped from 4.5 million in 2008 to 4.4 million in 2008. District 2, which houses Louisiana’s only minority congressman, has experienced the greatest exodus. Additionally, estimates are that New Orleans could lose as many as five seats in the Louisiana Legislature. – PBF