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Louisiana receives new 2000 census data 03/09/2001 Associated Press
BATON ROUGE, La. – State officials in charge of redrawing voting districts for Louisiana congressmen and state lawmakers received needed 2000 population data today.
The figures, sent via overnight mail from the U.S. Bureau of Census, show where Louisiana's 4.47 million people live, how many of them are 18 or older and how they view their own racial backgrounds.
Officials were in the process of unpacking the figures so they could take an initial look at them. They were not expected to be available to the public until later Friday afternoon.
Since 1990, Louisiana's population has grown by about 249,000 people, with census estimates showing the largest increases coming on the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain, home to several New Orleans bedroom communities.
Officials also are eager to see whether estimates that showed an outflow of more than 35,000 residents from New Orleans were on target.
Louisiana's modest growth did not affect its representation in Congress; the state will retain seven seats.
However, population shifts within Louisiana will force the state Legislature to redraw Congressional districts, as well as state Senate and House districts.
Congressional districts will include about 36,000 more people than before, for a total of about 638,400. The state's 39 Senate districts will grow by 6,400 people to 114,600. Louisiana's 105 House districts will have about 1,400 more residents for a total of about 42,600.
The districts are not drawn simply according to the numbers, however. Federal voting rights laws force lawmakers also to ensure that new district boundaries do not substantially weaken the political power of minorities as voting blocks.
Minority voting rights could present some complications in New Orleans, a majority black district that is expected to see its land area increase to make up for anticipated losses in the city's population. Analysts say that will be difficult to do without bringing in mostly white voters. |
