DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of
the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of
the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
Richard HB No. 175
Abstract: Establishes and provides for a redistricting commission to propose alternative
redistricting plans for each house of the legislature. Requires the legislature to enact one
of those plans for each house without amendment.
Proposed constitutional amendment provides for a redistricting commission as follows:
(1)Establishes a redistricting commission in each year in which the federal decennial census
is taken to propose plans for redistricting of the districts for the election of members to
each house of the legislature. Provides for the commission to be composed of 13
members selected to be representative of the state's population by race and gender to
ensure diversity as follows:
(a)Two elected by the membership of the House of Representatives and two elected
by the membership of the Senate by May 1 of the year in which the federal
decennial census is taken; one member elected by each house to be a voter
registered as affiliated with the recognized political party in the state with the
greatest number of voters registered as affiliated with the party who is nominated
by the members of the house who are registered as affiliated with that party and
the other to be a voter registered as affiliated with the recognized political party in
the state with the second greatest number of voters registered as affiliated with the
party who is nominated by the members of the house who are registered as
affiliated with that party.
(b)Eight appointed by the La. Supreme Court within 30 days of the election of the
members above, including one registered voter in each congressional district,
from separate lists of at least eight names each (at least one registered voter in
each congressional district) submitted by May 1 by the president of Centenary
College at Shreveport, the president of Dillard University at New Orleans, the
president of La. College at Pineville, the president of Loyola University at New
Orleans, the president of Tulane University of La. at New Orleans, and the
president of Xavier University at New Orleans. Provides that if any nominating
authority fails to submit nominees in the time required or ceases to exist, the court
shall make the appointments from the nominees submitted or, if none are
submitted, the court shall make the appointments without nominations.
(c)One appointed by the chief justice within 30 days of the members elected above. Provides that the member be a voter who is not affiliated with any political party
and provides that the member shall serve as chairman of the commission.
(d)Provides that no person shall be eligible or selected to serve on the commission
who: holds elected or appointed public or political party office; is a member of the
immediate family of a legislator; is a state employee; or is a registered voter in any
other state.
(e)Provides for filling vacancies in the manner of the original selection within 20
days of the vacancy.
(f)Provides that commission members serve until redistricting of each house has
been completed after the decennial census and has become effective, at which
time the commission shall be dissolved until a new commission is established in
the year of the next federal census. Provides, however, if a new redistricting is
required during the time between decennial censuses, a new commission shall be
established as provided in proposed law. Specifies that each member shall receive
the same per diem and travel allowance as provided to legislators.
(3)Requires all meetings to be public, requires at least one meeting in each congressional
district, and requires all communications to the commission or any member thereof about
redistricting to be placed into the official record of the commission. Requires all
communications from legislators to the commission to be in writing or occur on the
record during a public hearing.
(4)Requires the commission to submit three alternative plans for redistricting of each house
to the legislature at least three days prior to the final date for prefiling of legislation at the
regular session in the year following the year in which the population of the state is
reported to the president of the U.S.
(5)Requires that each plan shall redistrict the districts in accordance with the requirements of
the La. constitution and in accordance with federal law.
(6)Requires the legislature to enact one of the three plans for each house without
amendment. Requires the legislature to enact such plan not later than the time as
provided in present constitution (Const. Art. III, §6; see below) relative to legislative
redistricting.
(7)Provides that if the commission fails to submit three plans for each house or if the
legislature fails to enact one of those plans for each house, the La. Supreme Court, upon
petition of any elector, shall redistrict the legislature.
(8)Provides that the proposed constitutional amendment is self-operative, but authorizes the
legislature to provide by law relative to the redistricting commission and procedures to
implement the proposed constitutional amendment, including but not limited to expenses and staffing for the commission, such law to be consistent with the proposed
constitutional amendment and the present constitution.
Present constitution (Const. Art. III, §6) provides for legislative reapportionment. Requires the
legislature to reapportion each house as equally as practicable on the basis of population shown
by the census not later than the end of the year following the year in which the state's population
is reported to the president of the U.S. for each decennial federal census.
Proposed constitutional amendment changes the terminology in the present constitution to reflect
a change from "reapportion" and "reapportionment" to "redistrict" and "redistricting" and further
requires that such redistricting comply with the proposed constitutional amendment (summarized
above). Also retains present constitution that provides for "redistricting of the districts to elect
members" of the legislature by the supreme court upon petition of any elector if the legislature
fails to "redistrict" as required by the present constitution and proposed constitutional
amendment. Also retains present constitution that provides that procedure for review and for
petition shall be provided by law.
Provides for submission of the proposed amendment to the voters at the statewide election to be
held Nov. 4, 2014.
(Amends Const. Art. III, §6; Adds Const. Art. XI, §6)