HLS 241ES-31 ORIGINAL
2024 First Extraordinary Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 1
BY REPRESENTATIVE WILLARD
ELECTIONS: Creates the Election Reform Task Force to study processes and methods
relative to redistricting and elections
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To create a task force to study reforms to Louisiana's process of redistricting and methods
3 of elections to promote efficiency and ensure eligible Louisiana voters can
4 effectively participate in the political process and to submit a written report of the
5 task force findings and recommendations to the Legislature of Louisiana no later
6 than February 14, 2025.
7 WHEREAS, voting is the cornerstone of American democracy; and
8 WHEREAS, the resiliency of Louisiana's political institutions relies on the robust
9political participation of the citizens of this state; and
10 WHEREAS, the process of redistricting is the quintessential obligation of a
11legislature and tantamount to the distribution of political power; and
12 WHEREAS, the process of redistricting must be designed to create maps in the best
13interests of all Louisiana voters and align with the principles of a republican democracy; and
14 WHEREAS, structural reforms including the methods and parameters of conducting
15primary and general elections are consequential to enabling voters to elect their candidates
16of choice; and
17 WHEREAS, election reforms require investment from the state and could entail
18increasing election dates or costs; and
19 WHEREAS, from January 2019 to January 2024, Louisiana held twenty-eight
20elections and as many as seven in a single calendar year; and
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HCR NO. 1
1 WHEREAS, the multitude of Louisiana's constant and decentralized elections comes
2at great expense to taxpayers; and
3 WHEREAS, every election is important, and the vote of every eligible Louisiana
4voter is entitled to its unique, intrinsic, and equal weight in the maintenance of our
5democracy; and
6 WHEREAS, the state has an obligation to ensure elections are administered with the
7most efficient and effective methods to deliver the most reliable and representative results.
8 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
9establish the Election Reform Task Force to study reforms related to the process of
10redistricting and methods of elections, including but not limited to alternative methods of
11redistricting including the election or appointment of independent or bipartisan
12commissions; processes to support community engagement and ensure maps reflect
13Louisiana's historic communities of interest; structural reforms related to the methods of
14conducting primaries and general elections; and the consolidation or streamlining of
15Louisiana's elections.
16 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the primary objective of the task force is to
17deliberate all applicable facts, circumstances, policies, and procedures that contribute to
18inefficiencies, excess spending, and results not reflective of the best interest of Louisiana
19voters in the process of redistricting and methods of conducting elections.
20 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the membership of the task force shall be as
21follows:
22 (1) The chairman of the House Committee on House and Governmental Affairs or
23his designee.
24 (2) The chairman of the Senate Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs or
25his designee.
26 (3) The chairman of the Legislative Democratic Caucus or his designee.
27 (4) The chairman of the Legislative Republican Caucus or his designee.
28 (5) The chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus or his designee.
29 (6) The Louisiana secretary of state or his designee.
30 (7) The president of the Louisiana Registrars of Voters Association or his designee.
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HCR NO. 1
1 (8) The president of the Louisiana Clerks of Court Association or his designee.
2 (9) The president of the Police Jury Association of Louisiana or his designee.
3 (10) The president of the Louisiana Municipal Association or his designee.
4 (11) The president of the Louisiana District Judges Association or his designee.
5 (12) The president of the Louisiana District Attorneys Association or his designee.
6 (13) The president of the Louisiana School Boards Association or his designee.
7 (14) The president of Power Coalition for Equity and Justice or his designee.
8 (15) The president of the Louisiana State Conference of the NAACP or his designee.
9 (16) The president of the League of Women Voters of Louisiana or her designee.
10 (17) The executive director of Voice of the Experienced or his designee.
11 (18) The president of the Pelican Institute for Public Policy or his designee.
12 (19) The president of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana or his
13designee.
14 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be co-chaired by the
15chairman of the House Committee on House and Governmental Affairs and the chairman
16of the Senate Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs, and the staffs of those
17committees or other appropriate legislative staff shall staff the task force.
18 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the task force shall serve
19without compensation, except per diem or expense reimbursement to which they may be
20individually entitled from their respective organizations.
21 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a majority of the total membership shall
22constitute a quorum of the task force and that any official action by the task force shall
23require an affirmative vote of a majority of the quorum present and voting.
24 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force may conduct meetings at times
25as it may determine are necessary or convenient to enable it to timely perform its duties;
26however, the co-chairs shall convene the first meeting no later than March 11, 2024, and the
27committee shall meet no less than five times.
28 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Election Reform Task Force shall submit a
29written report of the task force findings and recommendations to the Legislature of Louisiana
30no later than February 14, 2025.
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HCR NO. 1
1 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to each
2member of the established task force.
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)]
HCR 1 Original 2024 First Extraordinary Session Willard
Establishes a task force to study reforms to La.'s process of redistricting and methods of
elections to promote efficiency and ensure eligible La. voters can effectively participate in
the political process and to submit a written report of the task force findings and
recommendations to the Legislature of La. no later than Feb. 14, 2025.
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