The state Legislature begins a series of regional public forums on redistricting today. The first of nine forums takes place at 5:30 Wednesday evening at the UL-Monroe Library Terrace. Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt is chairwoman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee. She urges the voting public to attend.
“It’s preliminarily a listening session. So we want to hear from the public and from the local elected officials in the area about how they would like to see their representation going forward.”
Every ten years, after the Census is taken, state lawmakers must meet to redraw districts to better represent the demographics of the state, while maintaining balance of the numbers of people represented within those areas. Senator Hewitt says the forums will help legislators to better do their job.
“We want to know which groups of people see themselves, in a geographic area, as a Community of Interest. And one of our principles in redistricting is trying to keep those Communities of Interest together.”
Redistricting will get underway in early 2022. Hewitt says lawmakers have a responsibility to redraw ALL areas of representation within the state,
“It’ll be legislative districts – Senate and House, the congressional districts, the Public Service Commission, the state Board of Education – BESE and the judicial system.”
Other public redistricting forums are lined up for Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Covington, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, New Orleans, Shreveport & Thibodaux. For a schedule, go to “redist.legis.la.gov”
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