Louisiana

Louisiana’s congressional and state legislative lines are both drawn by the state legislature, as a regular statute, subject to gubernatorial veto.

The Louisiana constitution grants the state Supreme Court jurisdiction to redraw state legislature lines if the legislature fails to do so. No similar provision exists for congressional lines. [La. Const. art. III, § 6(B)]

Louisiana state law does not impose a particular deadline for drawing congressional lines, though candidates must file for congressional primary elections by July 22, 2022. [La. Rev. Stat. §§ 18-467(2), –468(a)]  The legislative session is currently scheduled to begin on Apr. 12, 2021, and end on June 10, 2021. The legislature is planning to hold a special redistricting session in February 2022.

The state constitution requires that state legislative lines be drawn by Dec. 31, 2021.  Candidates must qualify for state legislative primary elections by Aug. 10, 2023. [La. Const. art. III, § 6(A); La. Rev. Stat. §§ 18-467(1), -468(b)]

Louisiana places no limits on the ability to redraw congressional or state legislative district lines at any time, including before the next Census. [La. Op. Atty. Gen. No. 99-54 (1999)]

The legislature will hold a series of public hearings on the redistricting process from October 20, 2021, to January 20, 2022.

In the 2010 cycle, public hearing records were available here for the state House, and here for the state Senate.

Like all states, Louisiana must comply with constitutional equal population requirements. The state constitution also asks that state legislative districts be apportioned as equally as practicable on the basis of population.  [La. Const. art. III, § 6]

Louisiana must also, like all states, abide by the Voting Rights Act and constitutional rules on race.

Louisiana’s legislature enacted a congressional plan (HB 1) on Feb. 18, 2022; the governor vetoed the plan, but the legislature overrode that veto on Mar. 30, 2022.  The plan was preliminarily enjoined by a federal court as a violation of the Voting Rights Act on June 6, 2022, but that decision was stayed by the U.S. Supreme Court, and then released after the 2022 elections; the substance was affirmed by the Fifth Circuit on Nov. 10, 2023.  [Robinson v. Ardoin, 605 F. Supp. 3d 759 (M.D. La. 2022), stayed by 142 S. Ct. 2892 (2022), stay vacated by 143 S. Ct. 2654 (2023); Robinson v. Ardoin, 86 F.4th 574 (5th Cir. 2023)]

On Jan. 19, 2024, the legislature passed a remedial plan (SB8), which the governor signed on Jan. 22, 2024.  That plan is currently subject to pending litigation.

The legislature passed a state Senate plan (SB 1) and a state House plan (HB 14) on Feb. 18, 2022, which became law without the governor’s signature on Mar. 9, 2022.  Those plans have also been struck by a federal court as a violation of the Voting Rights Act; both remedial proceedings and an appeal are simultaneously underway.  [Nairne v. Ardoin, 715 F.Supp.3d 808 (M.D. La. 2024)] The next legislative elections will take place in 2027.

Louisiana’s legislature enacted a congressional plan (HB 6) on Apr. 13, 2011, which the governor signed on Apr. 14, 2011, and which was precleared on Aug. 1, 2011.  Challenges to the congressional map were voluntarily dismissed.

Louisiana’s legislature passed a state Senate plan (SB 1) on Apr. 12, 2011, and a state House plan (HB 1) on Apr. 11, 2011; the governor signed both on Apr. 14, 2011.  HB 1 was precleared on June 20, 2011, and SB 1 was precleared on June 28, 2011.

Louisiana’s legislature enacted a congressional plan (HB 2) on Oct. 19, 2001, which were precleared on Apr. 1, 2002.

The legislature enacted both state Senate (SB 1) and state House (HB 1) plans on October 16, 2001. The Senate plans were precleared through the Department of Justice on July 2, 2002, but the state sought preclearance through federal court in Washington, D.C., for House plans. A settlement led to a new state House plan (HB 779) enacted by the legislature on May 7, 2003, and precleared on May 20, 2003. It appears that the plans were not further challenged in court.

State House plans were further modified on June 3, 2003 (HB 2011) and June 25, 2004 (HB 910); state Senate plans were further modified on May 13, 2003 (SB 927).