Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Judicial Redistricting topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bill to redraw East Baton Rouge family court election sections stalls after tied committee vote
Summary
Representative Marcel’s plan to redraw election sections for East Baton Rouge Parish family court judges sparked debate about racial balance and whether the Judicial Council must review redistricting; the committee vote tied 5-5, leaving House Bill 442 in committee.
Representative Marcel pressed a bill to redraw election sections for family court judges in East Baton Rouge Parish, but the House committee voted 5-5 and left House Bill 442 in committee.
Marcel told the committee the map changes are tied to the latest census and intended to equalize population across divisions so elections reflect current demographics. "I do have here with me, Judge ... Don Johnson," Marcel said while introducing the bill and maps attached to the proposal.
Don Johnson, who identified himself as a longtime judge and Baton Rouge resident, described the bill as a way to update divisions last redrawn decades ago. He urged the committee to consider equal-population districts: "These districts were drawn 30 years ago ... so they are disproportionate and this bill makes them equal," Johnson said.
Representative Kevin Thomas (Representative Thomas objected) raised a legal objection, citing RS 13:61 and saying the Judicial Council should have provided information to the committee before the legislature acts when changes affect judgeships. "I'm not aware that we have been informed by the Judicial Council that we need to have, to make this change," Thomas said.
Judge Johnson and Marcel responded that RS 13:61 applies to creating new judgeships or splitting/merging courts, not to redistricting existing seats. Johnson said when the nineteenth judicial district was redrawn last year the Judicial Council was not involved because the statute governs creation of new judgeships, not boundary adjustments.
Wendy Edwards, a family law attorney in East Baton Rouge Parish, spoke in opposition, warning the map as drafted could unseat a recently elected judge. "Her division would completely change if y'all redistrict it, and it would go up into Central and Saint George," Edwards told the committee, noting Colette Jackson, who won a seat that weekend, would have to run again this fall in a very different division.
Marcel offered to amend the bill to move its effective date to the next election cycle so a newly elected judge would not be displaced immediately. The committee recorded a motion to report the bill favorably (mover recorded in the minutes as Representative Laura Dane); after roll call produced five yeas and five nays the chair announced: "House Bill 442 will stay here in committee."
