Term limits impacting Louisiana redistricting

Published 12:05 am Monday, March 28, 2011

BATON ROUGE (AP) — Though the redrawing of state political maps happens every decade, a new wrinkle is at play in this redistricting special session: term limits.

With seven state senators and 11 state representatives unable to run again for their current seats, their districts are on the chopping block to help shield other lawmakers and increase minority representation in the Legislature. The argument is those term-limited members don’t need protection for a fall re-election bid.

But some say proposals to sacrifice their districts are splitting apart parishes and towns with long-time ties and are running afoul of redistricting principles that support linking communities of interest with historical and economic similarities.

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Two senators who can’t run again this fall are strongly objecting to the divisions of their districts to help create new minority districts.