Dist. 40 without official- Too late to fill seat for session
by William Johnson - Opelousas Daily World (excerpt)

The election of state District 40 Rep. Elbert Guillory to the District 24 state Senate seat Saturday means St. Landry Parish will be without a representative in the Legislature this year.

"This has never happened in St. Landry Parish before," said St. Landry Parish Registrar of Voters John Moreau. "This is first time this scenario has ever played out in our parish." The Legislature has already been in session for a week and Moreau said there just isn't time to hold another special election before the Legislature finishes its current budget session.

As the state is looking at $1 billion-plus deficit and major cuts in education, health care and other programs are expected, that may be bad news for St. Landry Parish. The District 40 representative seat is the only position in the Legislature elected entirely from within the parish.