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)]
Leger HB No. 627
Abstract: Establishes and provides for a redistricting commission to propose alternative
redistricting plans for each public body to be redistricted by the legislature. Requires the
legislature to enact one of those plans for each body 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 public bodies in the executive, legislative,
and judicial branch of state government whose members are elected from districts.
Provides for the commission to be composed of 13 members selected by May 1 as
follows:
(a)Two elected by the membership of the House of Representatives and two elected
by the membership of the Senate; 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, including at least one registered voter
in each congressional district, appointed from separate lists of at least eight names
each (at least one registered voter in each congressional district) submitted by
April 1 by the Public Affairs Research Council of La., the Council for a Better
La., 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 registered voter in this state who is not affiliated with any political party appointed by the governor.
(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 public official subject to redistricting by the commission; is
a public employee; is an employee of a public official subject to redistricting by
the commission or of a legal entity in which such public official has a business or
financial interest; 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 body, as
required, 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.
(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. and for each other public body, at least three days
prior to the final date for prefiling of legislation at the regular session next preceding
qualification of candidates for election at the first election of members of the public body
after the release of decennial census information at the precinct level.
(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 body without amendment.
Requires the legislature to enact such legislative plans not later than the time as provided
in present constitution (Const. Art. III, §6; see below) relative to legislative redistricting
and other plans not later than the regular session next preceding qualification of
candidates for election at the first election of members of the public body after the release
of decennial census information at the precinct level.
(7)Provides that if the commission fails to submit three plans for each public body or if the
legislature fails to enact one of those plans for a public body, the La. Supreme Court, upon petition of any elector, shall redistrict the public body.
(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)