HLS 24RS-742 ORIGINAL
2024 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 692
BY REPRESENTATIVE WILFORD CARTER
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) District 1 is composed of Precincts 300, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 307,
19 308, 309E, 309W, 310, 311, 312, 313E, 313W, 315E, 316E, 317, 318, 319N, 319S,
Page 1 of 4
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 24RS-742 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 692
1 320E, 320W, 321, 322, 323, 324, 327, 328, 329, 330, 360 (Part - that portion within
2 Ward 3), 361, 364, and 371N of Calcasieu Parish.
3 (ii) District 2 is composed of Precincts 306, 314, 315W, 316W, 325, 326,
4 331, 332N, 332S, 333, 334, 335, 336, 337, 338, 339, 340, 362, 363, 365, 366, 367,
5 368, 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 "2024 Precinct Shapefiles (01-10-2024)" available on the Legislature of Louisiana's
12website on the effective date of this Section. The 2024 Precinct Shapefiles are based upon
13those Voting Districts (VTDs) contained in the 2020 Census Redistricting TIGER/Line
14Shapefiles for the State of Louisiana as those files have been modified and validated through
15the data verification program of the Louisiana House of Representatives and the Louisiana
16Senate to represent precinct changes submitted through January 10, 2024, to the Legislature
17of Louisiana by parish governing authorities pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 18:532 and
18532.1.
19 (B) When a precinct referenced in this Act has been subdivided by action of the
20parish governing authority on a nongeographic basis or subdivided by action of the parish
21governing authority on a geographic basis in accordance with the provisions of R.S.
2218:532.1, the enumeration in this Act of the general precinct designation shall include all
23nongeographic and all geographic subdivisions thereof, however such subdivisions may be
24designated.
25 (C) The territorial limits of the districts as provided in this Act shall continue in
26effect until changed by law regardless of any subsequent change made to the precincts by
27the parish governing authority.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 24RS-742 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 692
1 Section 3. Any election to elect a judge to the City Court of Lake Charles occurring
2after the effective date of this Act shall be conducted within the appropriate election section
3established by the provisions of Section 1 of this Act.
4 Section 4. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
5signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
6by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
7vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
8effective 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 692 Original 2024 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.
Statistical summaries of proposed law, as well as maps illustrating proposed district
boundaries accompany this digest. (Attached to the bill version on the internet.)
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 are those precincts
contained in the file named "2024 Precinct Shapefiles (01-10-2024)" available on the
legislature's website. The 2024 Precinct Shapefiles are based upon those Voting Districts
(VTDs) contained in the 2020 Census Redistricting TIGER/Line Shapefiles for the State of
La. as those files have been modified and validated through the data verification program
of the La. House of Representatives and the La. Senate to represent precinct changes
submitted through Jan. 10, 2024, to the Legislature of La. by parish governing authorities.
Also specifies that if any such precinct has been subdivided by action of the parish
governing authority on a nongeographic basis or subdivided by action of the parish
governing authority on a geographic basis in accordance with present law, the enumeration
of the general precinct designation shall include all nongeographic and all geographic
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 24RS-742 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 692
subdivisions thereof. Further provides that the territorial limits of the districts as enacted
shall continue in effect until changed by law regardless of any subsequent change made to
the precincts by the parish governing authority.
Population data in the summaries accompanying this digest are derived from 2020 Census
Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171), Summary File for La. 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))
Page 4 of 4
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. 53,740District 1 1 56,025 -2,285 -4.079%
58,311District 2 1 56,025 2,286 4.080%
Plan: HLS 24RS-742 (W.Carter) Lake Charles City Court (Ward 3
Plan Statistics
Districts: Relative DeviationAbsolute Deviation# of Members Actual PopulationIdeal Population
Note: Precinct 360 is split in two places by the ward line. In the first instance, the easternmost ward line is a
straight vertical line extension from Pujol Rd. (Hwy. 397) to the river. In the second instance, the northernmost
boundary is a straight horizontal line from Goos Ferry Rd. Ext. to the river. The 2020 census blocks do not
align with the ward line. In the first instance, there are 2 census blocks split by the ward line with 37 people in
those blocks. In the second instance there are 4 census blocks split by the ward line with 118 people in those
blocks. This report is the closest approximation of the population of District 1 using the nearest 2020 census
tabulation boundaries.
Grand Total: 2 112,051 112,050
Ideal Population Per Member:
Number of Districts for Plan Type:
Absolute Mean Deviation:
Range of District Populations:
Absolute Overall Range:
Absolute Range:
Relative Overall Range:
Relative Range:
Relative Mean Deviation:
Ideal - Actual:
Unassigned Population:
Remainder:
56025
2
53,740
2,286
-2,285
4,571
4.08%
-4.08%
8.16%
to
to
to
58,311
2,286
4.08%
-1
1
0 District 1
Calcasieu 37,992 713 2,102 2,50953,740 12,464 40,450 10,641 17,9025,49724,5661,67927,427 15,5331,168 2,716 6,317
District 1 37,992 713 2,102 2,50953,740 12,464 40,450 10,641 17,9025,49724,5661,67927,427 1,168 15,533 6,3172,716
70.696% 1.327% 3.911% 4.669%100.000% 23.193% 100.000% 26.307% 72.873%22.376%60.732%4.151%67.805% 4.755% 63.230% 11.056% 25.714%
District 2
Calcasieu 9,820 2,663 3,205 3,84058,311 41,665 45,120 33,366 3,29424,29429,2312,6646,777 7,4621,643 13,311 8,458
District 2 9,820 2,663 3,205 3,84058,311 41,665 45,120 33,366 3,29424,29429,2312,6646,777 1,643 7,462 8,45813,311
16.841% 4.567% 5.496% 6.585%100.000% 71.453% 100.000% 73.949% 11.269%83.110%64.785%5.904%15.020% 5.621% 25.528% 45.537% 28.935%
Plan: HLS 24RS-742 (W.Carter) Lake Charles City Court (Ward 3
District Summary
Total
Population VAP WhiteVAP Total
Total
Hispanic
Total
Other
Total
Asian
Total
White
Total
Black VAP Black
VAP
Hispanic
Total
Reg Total
Dec 2023
Reg White
Dec 2023
Reg Black
Dec 2023
Reg Other
Dec 2023
Reg Dem
Total
Dec 2023
Reg Rep
Total
Dec 2023
Reg Other
Total
Dec 2023
Page: 1 of 1
Grand Total
Note: Precinct 360 is split in two places by the ward line. In the first instance, the easternmost ward line is a
straight vertical line extension from Pujol Rd. (Hwy. 397) to the river. In the second instance, the northernmost
boundary is a straight horizontal line from Goos Ferry Rd. Ext. to the river. The 2020 census blocks do not
align with the ward line. In the first instance, there are 2 census blocks split by the ward line with 37 people in
those blocks. In the second instance there are 4 census blocks split by the ward line with 118 people in those
blocks. This report is the closest approximation of the population and voter registration of District 1 using the
nearest 2020 census tabulation boundaries.
47,812 3,376 5,307 6,349112,051 54,129 85,570 44,007 21,19629,79153,7974,34334,204 2,811 22,995 14,77516,027
42.670% 3.013% 4.736% 5.666%100.000% 48.307% 100.000% 51.428% 39.400%55.377%62.869%5.075%39.972% 5.225% 42.744% 29.792% 27.464% Calcasieu
Jeff Davis
Cameron
Jeff Davis
260
469
468
365
261
370
861E
371S
860S460W
14
467
463
461
364
405
360
664
369
860N
167
465
464
762
361
466E
466W
23
363
313E
861W
368
306
164
400
460E
801
663
366
367
302
371N
800
162W
166E
300
301
404
441
316W
406
440
165
336
333
340
372
401
403
324
362
407
312
402
23
330
328
338
329
408
310
326
325
166W
307
339
305
162E
318
334
317
308
322
309W
314
304
331
332S
327
309E
337
163
316E 323
321
303
!
2
!
1
Lake Charles City Court (Ward 3) (HLS24-742 W. Carter)
Note: Precinct 360 is split in two places by the ward line. In the first instance, the easternmost ward line is a straight vertical line extension from Pujol Rd. (Hwy. 397) to the river. In the second instance, the northernmost
boundary is a straight horizontal line from Goos Ferry Rd. Ext. to the river. The 2020 census blocks do not align with the ward line. This map is an approximation of District 1 using the nearest 2020 census block boundaries.