HLS 21RS-447 ORIGINAL
2021 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 82
BY REPRESENTATIVE WILFORD CARTER
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
REAPPORTIONMENT/JUDGES: Establishes election sections for the election of judges
to the City Court of Lake Charles
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 13:1952(13), relative to the City Court of Lake Charles; to
3 provide for election sections for the election of judges to the court; to provide for
4 effectiveness; and to provide for related matters.
5Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 13:1952(13) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
7 ยง1952. Courts created by special legislative Act
8 The following city courts, heretofore created and established by special
9 legislative Act, are hereby recognized and continued in existence and, except as
10 otherwise provided in this Section, their territorial jurisdiction shall extend through
11 the city and ward or wards wherein the city in which they are domiciled is located,
12 as extended from time to time:
13 * * *
14 (13)(a) The City Court of Lake Charles, domiciled in the city of Lake
15 Charles, parish of Calcasieu, having two city judges and a city marshal;.
16 (b) For the purpose of electing judges, the court shall be divided into two
17 election sections.
18 (i) Election section one shall consist of Precincts 300, 301, 302, 303, 304,
19 305, 307, 308, 309E, 309W, 310, 311, 312, 313E, 313W, 315E, 316E, 317, 318,
20 319N, 319S, 320E, 320W, 321, 322, 323, 324, 327, 328, 329, 330, 361, 364, and
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HB NO. 82
1 371N of Calcasieu Parish and that portion of Precinct 360 contained within Ward 3
2 of Calcasieu Parish.
3 (ii) Election section two shall consist of Precincts 306, 314, 315W, 316W,
4 325, 326, 331, 332N, 332S, 333, 334, 335, 336, 337, 338, 339, 340, 362, 363, 365,
5 366, 367, 368, 369, 370, 371S and 372 of Calcasieu Parish.
6 (c) The judgeship designated as Division B shall be elected from election
7 section one, and the judgeship designated as Division A shall be elected from
8 election section two.
9 * * *
10 Section 2.(A) The precincts referenced in this Act are those contained in the file
11named "2019 Precinct Shape files" published on the Louisiana House of Representatives
12website. The 2019 Precinct Shape files are based upon those Voting Districts (VTDs)
13contained in the 2010 Census Redistricting TIGER/Line Shape files for the state of
14Louisiana as those files have been modified by the staff of the Legislature of Louisiana to
15represent precinct changes submitted through July 23, 2019, to the Legislature of Louisiana
16by parish governing authorities pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 18:532 and 532.1.
17 (B) When a precinct referenced in this Act has been subdivided by action of the
18parish governing authority on a nongeographic basis or subdivided by action of the parish
19governing authority on a geographic basis in accordance with the provisions of R.S.
2018:532.1, the enumeration in this Act of the general precinct designation shall include all
21nongeographic and all geographic subdivisions thereof, however such subdivisions may be
22designated. The territorial limits of the election sections as provided in this Act shall
23continue in effect without change regardless of any changes made to the precincts by the
24parish governing authority.
25 Section 3. Any election to elect a judge to the City Court of Lake Charles occurring
26after the effective date of this Act shall be conducted within the appropriate election section
27established by the provisions of Section 1 of this Act.
28 Section 4. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
29signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
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HB NO. 82
1by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
2vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
3effective on the day following such approval.
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)]
HB 82 Original 2021 Regular Session Wilford Carter
Abstract: Provides for the composition of two election sections in the City Court of Lake
Charles and provides for the assignment of judgeships to those election sections for
election purposes.
Present law provides that the City Court of Lake Charles is domiciled in the city of Lake
Charles and that the territorial jurisdiction of the court extends through the city and ward or
wards wherein the city is located, as extended from time to time. Provides that the court has
two city judges and one city marshal. Proposed law retains present law.
Proposed law creates two election sections in the City Court of Lake Charles. Provides that
one judge shall be elected by the qualified electors of election section one, and one judge
shall be elected by the qualified electors of election section two. Provides that the judgeship
designated as Division A of the City Court of Lake Charles is assigned to election section
two for election purposes. Provides that the judgeship designated as Division B of the City
Court of Lake Charles is assigned to election section one for election purposes. Specifies
that any election to elect a judge to the court occurring after the effective date of proposed
law shall be conducted within the appropriate election section established by proposed law.
Proposed law specifies that precincts referenced in district descriptions in proposed law are
those contained in the file named "2019 Precinct Shape files" published on the La. House
of Representatives website. Specifies that the 2019 Precinct Shape files are based upon
those Voting Districts (VTDs) contained in the 2010 Census Redistricting TIGER/Line
Shape files for the state of La. as those files have been modified by the staff of the legislature
to represent precinct changes submitted through July 23, 2019, to the legislature by parish
governing authorities pursuant to the provisions of present law (R.S. 18:532 and 532.1).
Proposed law additionally provides that when a precinct is subdivided on a nongeographic
or geographic basis under present law (R.S. 18:532.1), the general precinct designation in
the district description includes all nongeographic and geographic subdivisions of the
precinct, and specifies that the territorial limits of the election sections as provided in
proposed law shall continue in effect without change regardless of any changes made to the
precincts by the parish governing authority.
Population data in the summaries accompanying this digest are derived from 2010 Census
Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171), Summary File for Louisiana. Population data,
statistical information, and maps are supplied for purposes of information and analysis and
comprise no part of proposed law.
Effective upon signature of governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 13:1952(13))
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