At the Capitol: Despite this week’s bitter temperatures, Louisiana’s newly inaugurated Legislature is set to convene at 4 p.m. today for an eight-day special session. The focus of the session is to redraw Louisiana’s congressional map after a federal judge ruled that current boundaries violate the Voting Rights Act. Lawmakers also may explore new state Supreme Court districts and move away from the state’s unique “jungle primary” system. Read more about the session.
PAR’s view: The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana this week issued a commentary in favor of retaining Louisiana’s so-called “jungle” primary systems, saying that moving away from the open primary election system would be an unnecessary and costly switch that could confuse voters and disenfranchise those that don’t belong to either the Republican or Democratic party. Read the full commentary.
Policy audit: Before he was sworn in, Gov. Jeff Landry, in his capacity as attorney general, signed a contract with a Washington, D.C.-based law firm to review Louisiana State Police policy. A copy of the contract Louisiana Illuminator obtained through a public records request caps compensation at $300,000. The law firm WilmerHale began its work Nov. 1, 2023, and its contract with the state expires at the end of this month. Read the full story from Louisiana Illuminator.
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