LSN

ABBEVILLE -- The Vermilion Parish Police Jury supports a plan by U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany Jr. to assist in redistricting Louisiana from seven congressional districts to six due to less people living in Louisiana.

Boustany spoke to the Police Jury Monday and explained to them he helped come up with new districts that would keep Vermilion Parish, Lafayette and Lake Charles coastal district in the same district.

The five other districts would be: One would be a minority district based around New Orleans, a district around Baton Rouge, east and west districts north of Interstate 10 near Monroe and Shreveport.

“We are looking to meet the traditional voting patterns that reflect cultural and political differences,” he told the jurors. “Lake Charles is a coastal city, and Lafayette and Lake Charles had been in the same district for nearly 40 years.”

Boustany said it is important to have more than one person representing the Louisiana coast because more than one voice in Congress will get more done for coastal parishes.

“This makes more sense and looks out for the interests of the whole state,” he said.

“I saw this directly after hurricanes Rita and Katrina, where we had several of us fighting. We were able to get a lot more done than if only one person had to handle the entire coast,” explained Boustany.

Boustany currently represents the cities of Crowley, Eunice, Jennings, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Opelousas, Sulphur, Ville Platte, and surrounding areas.

The Legislators will convene for a special redistricting session starting on March 20, 2011.