With this evening’s 6 p.m. special session deadline looming, the Louisiana Legislature has one day to wrap up a bitter battle over redistricting.
Legislators have failed to reach a compromise on an electoral map featuring one fewer congressional district. Louisiana lost a seat in the House of Representatives after 2010 Census figures showed the state lagging in population growth.
The Legislature must also draw new lines for its own districts, as well as numerous other boards.
Five of the state’s seven U.S. representatives have asked the Legislature to put off redistricting until next year, according to news reports. Gov. Bobby Jindal has supported the proposal to postpone redistricting until after this fall’s elections.
Senate President Joel Chaisson, D-Destrehan, will file a bill to move redistricting to the regular legislative session starting April 25, his office said.
Legislators convened the current special session to address redistricting. The regular session is scheduled to deal with Jindal’s proposed executive budget, which aims to fill the state’s $1.6 billion deficit.
Many proposals in Jindal’s budget will affect higher education funding.
Legislators have fiercely debated whether to draw congressional maps horizontally or vertically. Democrats have argued Republicans are seeking vertical maps that would preserve party power rather than appropriately represent population shifts.