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Redistricting

House Bill 581 (Act No. 776) - Louisiana Supreme Court Redistricting

bulletCourt goes from 8 justices to 7 bulletCreates 7 single-member districts bulletDivides the old 1st Supreme Court District, which used to elect 2 justices, into 2 single-member districts - the new 1st Supreme Court District and the new 7th Supreme Court District bullet1st Supreme Court District is a white-majority district - composed of a majority of Jefferson Parish, part of Orleans Parish, and the whole parishes of St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington bullet7th Supreme Court District is a black-majority district (about 60% black) - composed of parts of Orleans and Jefferson Parishes bulletEffective January 1, 1999 - unless a vacancy occurs in the old 1st Supreme Court District prior to this date bulletThe vacancy would be filled from the new 7th Supreme Court District

Senate Bill 355 (Act No. 1211) - Limited Senate Redistricting

bulletProvides for the redistricting of the following state Senate districts: bulletDistrict Nos. 11-18 in and around Baton Rouge (Schedler, Short, Branch, Guidry, Fields, Dardenne, Greene and Lambert) bulletDistrict Nos. 22-28 in Acadiana (Romero, Jordan, Cravins, Picard, Casanova, Cox, Hines) bulletDistrict Nos. 32-35 in the Northeast area of the state (Ellington, Barham, Jones, Ewing) bulletAre being redrawn as a result of a lawsuit filed alleging that the current districts are racially drawn bulletEffective for the 1999 regular state Senate elections

Senate Bill 1513 (Act No. 1367) - BESE Redistricting

bulletAre being redrawn as a result of the same lawsuit that prompted the Senate redistricting bulletThe 8th BESE district was most affected by the redistricting bulletEffective July 15, 1997

 

Veterans Benefits

Senate Bill 60 (Act No. 1195 ) - Educational Benefits for Disabled Vets' Dependents

bulletPrevious law provided that certain dependents of the following were entitled to tuition exemption at state colleges, universities and vocational training schools, and were free from paying registration, laboratory, athletic, medical, and other school-imposed fees: bulletMembers of the armed forces who were killed in action bulletMembers of the armed forces who died in active service from other causes bulletMembers of the armed forces who are missing in action bulletMembers of the armed forces who are prisoners of war bulletMembers of the armed forces who died as a result of a service-connected disability incurred during certain wartime periods bulletVeterans rated 100% service connected disabled by the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs bullet(spouses and surviving spouses are not included in this category) bulletDependents eligible for the benefits: bulletChildren between the ages of 16 and 25 bulletSpouses and surviving spouses bulletNew law changes the disability rating needed by the disabled veteran from 100% to 90% - 100% bulletEffective August 15, 1997

 

COVENANT MARRIAGES

House Bill 756 (Act No. 1380) - Covenant Marriages

bulletA couple choosing this type of marriage must go through counseling before marriage bulletMust also undergo counseling during periods of marital trouble bulletThe union can only be dissolved for serious reasons such as: bulletAdultery bulletSpousal or sexual abuse bulletAbandonment bulletImprisonment bulletAlcoholism bulletThe couple lives apart for at least two years bulletLouisiana is the only state to have such a law bulletEffective August 15, 1997

 

For Your Information