[StBernard] Plan would merge Houma congressional district with New Orleans

Westley Annis Westley at da-parish.com
Mon Mar 23 04:25:47 EDT 2009


Jeremy Alford / Houma Courier

BATON ROUGE - As the redistricting process draws closer for Louisiana,
there's already a plan on the table that would make one, new congressional
district out of the two that currently house the metro hubs of
Houma-Thibodaux and New Orleans.

While it will chiefly be the responsibility of the state Legislature to draw
the updated congressional lines in 2011, special interests and
constituencies from throughout the democratic process already want a say.

Among the first out of the gate with an actual map is the Louisiana Family
Forum, a conservative advocacy group that bases most of its political
outreach on its interpretations of Christian principles.

The group's redrawing of post-Katrina Louisiana could be jarring for people
in the southeast portion of the state, where LFF proposes to completely
alter the congressional landscape.

The plan calls for combining the 3rd Congressional District, which is
anchored by Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes, with New Orleans' 2nd
Congressional District.

As proposed, the resulting district would become Louisiana's required
majority-minority district and stretch as far as the northwestern corner of
East Baton Rouge Parish.

Should the 2010 U.S. Census figures track the most recent 2007 federal
estimates - a loss of one district, with six remaining districts
representing roughly 717,000 people each - LFF President Gene Mills said his
group's plan would remain viable.

"The remaining five districts remain basically unchanged and give continuity
to Louisiana's historical districts, while maintaining a majority 'minority
district'," Mills said.

Based on LFF's proposal, which is only an early recommendation from a
nonprofit group at this point, the odd man out could be U.S. Rep. Charlie
Melancon D-Napoleonville.

Due to the battering St. Bernard Parish took during the 2005 hurricane
season, and the impact of neighboring New Orleans, speculation has long
surrounded his seat.

Under LFF's plan, Melancon would be living in a district that no longer
includes the few Acadiana parishes he now represents and would be forced to
campaign in a Baton Rouge-New Orleans market.

Critics contend the LFF proposal is a successful model only for conservative
candidates, which could ensure that Republicans maintain control of
Louisiana's congressional delegation.

Melancon's communications director, Robin Winchell, said her boss is more
focused on the job at hand - representing the district.

She said a new district office is being opened in Gonzales soon; Melancon is
wrapped up in continuing work from President Barack Obama's stimulus plan
and budget; and he voted with the House this week to recover taxpayers'
dollars from AIG.

"He's not even thinking about that right now," Winchell said. "He's busy
with too many other things."

Democrat leaders, meanwhile., say it's only a matter of time until the
speculation leans Melancon back into considering a run against U.S. Sen.
David Vitter R-Metairie, who faces reelection in 2010.

After briefly considering the race, Melancon said he was no longer pondering
the move, even though some party officials consider him the safest bet to
take on Vitter.

Last month, a Baton Rouge-based a good government group got into the
redistricting game as well by recommending a number of ways the Legislature
can minimize the politics of drawing up new district boundaries, but local
lawmakers aren't entirely sold on the pitch.

Given the state's past treatment of minorities, current population shifts
and recent battles over ethics reform, the stakes will be high as district
boundaries are redrawn, says Jim Brandt, president of the Public Affairs
Research Council.

Under PAR's plan, an independent commission would conduct outreach to
solicit citizen input and prepare the new district maps over an 18-month
period beginning January 2010.

The final map would be submitted to the Legislature in June 2011 to be
accepted or rejected with no opportunity for amendment.

More details on PAR's plan can be found at www.la-par.org
<http://www.la-par.org> .

LFF's entire proposal can be also accessed at
www.lafamilyforum.org/redistrict <http://www.lafamilyforum.org/redistrict>
.





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