Panel to hear Guillory redistricting plan Monday
by Mike Hasten - Shreveport Times (excerpt)

BATON ROUGE — The Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee on Monday will hear a new plan for redistricting the Senate that Opelousas Sen. Elbert Guillory says divides state representation more equitably than a plan already approved by a majority of senators. Guillory's SB27 was to be heard Wednesday, but Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee rules requiring bills to be posted for public viewing 48 hours in advance forced postponement.

The redesigned districts are in a large set of amendments presented to the committee and placed on the Legislature's website Wednesday afternoon. Guillory said Monday will be the sixth time the bill was scheduled. He fears the Senate leadership and administration didn't want his bill heard and that's "why it had such a meandering and obstacle-filled road."

Guillory said he expects a struggle because "power does not yield gently." He said he expects opposition from Chaisson, not only from the conversion of his district, but because of the elimination of the New Orleans districts. "One of the lynchpins of his plan is to protect New Orleans incumbents," Guillory said. "New Orleans lost 300,000 people. Redistricting shouldn't be about protecting incumbents. It should be about doing what's best for the state." Guillory said he recruited the support of the Louisiana Family Forum to help draft his bill because "I didn't want this to be a Democrat plan or a Republican plan."