1981 Louisiana Congressional Reapportionment Preliminary Chronology

    1981 Louisiana Congressional Reapportionment 

Preliminary Chronology 

July through October 1981 Louisiana Senate and House Subcommittees 
on Congressional Reapportionment hearings 

October 15, 1981 House Congressional Reapportionment 
Subcommittee authorizes its chairman, 
Representative Jock Scott, to draft 
legislation which would provide for 
an Orleans Parish-based District 2 
(50.2% black). (Times/Picayune, 
October 16, 1981) 

October 16, Senator Samuel Nunez, Senate Congressional 
Reapportionment Subcommittee Chairman 
and Lawrence Chehardy, Jefferson Parish 
Assessor criticize the House Subcommittee 
proposal because it divides Jefferson 
Parish into three Congressional districts 
without a majority in any one district. 
(Times /Picayune, October 17, 1981) 

October 22, Governor Treen publicly releases his 
three Congressional reapportionment 
proposals. (Treen press release, October 
22, 1981, contained in Additional 
Information; Times /Picayune, October 23, 
1981) 

October 23, Louisiana Congressional delegation 
publicly releases its reapportionment 
proposal which does not contain a 
majority black district. (Times/Picayune, 
October 24, 1981) 

October 26, 1981 Governor Treen at a news conference, 

in answer to a question about the 
absence of a black majority Congressional 
district in his three proposals, stated 
that there is "no constitutional 
imperative that that be done, nor do 1 
think that there is a policy imperative." 
(Times /Picayune, October 27, 1981)  



Chronology page two 

November 2, 1981 Special legislative session begins 
in which reapportionment of Congressional, 
state legislative and public service 
districts will be considered. 

The Scott Plan with a 50.2% black district 
(House Bill 2) is introduced in the 
House, and the Nunez Plan with a 
Jefferson Parish based district and 
an Orleans Parish based (54% black) 
district (Senate Bill 2) is introduced 
in the Senate. (Legislative history, 
Additional Information) 

November 4, 1981 Senate rejects Treen Proposal A, 20-17, 
and adopts the Nunez Plan (Senate Bill 
5), 30-6. Senate Bill 5 is sent to the 
House. (Legislative history, Additional 
Information; Times/Picayune, November 5, 
1981) 

Regarding the Senate vote on the Treen 
plan, the Times/Picayune observed, "With 
Treen's top aides, John Cade and William 
Nungesser, lobbying in the rear of the 
chamber, the proposal made a surprisingly 
good showing, losing only 20-17." 
(Times /Picayune, November 5, 1981) 

House Committee on House and Governmental 
Affairs rejects a plan similar to the 
Nunez Plan, 12-3, and by the same margin, 
adopts amendment to House Bill 2, 
incorporating Treen Proposal B. 
(Legislative history, Additional 
information; Times /Picayune, November 5, 
1981) 

November 6, 1981 House Committee on House and Governmental 
Affairs amends House Bill 2 to incorporate 
Treen Proposal A instead of his Proposal 
B. (Legislative history, Additional 
Information; Times/Picayune, November 7, 
1981)  



Chronology page three 

November 6, 1981 House rejects amended House Bill 2 
(continued) incorporating Treen Proposal A, 

51-47, and adopts Alario amendment 
substituting the Nunez Plan, 59-37. 
(Times /Picayune, November 7, 1981). 

Congressmen Breaux, Long and Tauzin 
lobbied at the State Capitol against 
Treen Proposal A. (Times/Picayune, 
November 10, 1981) 

After the House votes on Congressional 
reapportionment rejecting his proposal 
and adopting the Nunez Plan, Governor 
Treen issues a public statement that 
"Any bill in that form is unacceptable 
and without question will be vetoed." 
(Times /Picayune, November 7, 1981) 

Spokesmen for Congressmen Livingston 
and Moore state opposition to the 
Nunez Plan; Congresswoman Boggs 
states that "I certainly have no 
personal problem with it [the Nunez 
Plan] at all." (Times/Picayune, 
November 7, 1981) 

November 7 and 8, 1981 Heavy lobbying effort of the Treen 
Administration against the Nunez 
Plan (Times/Picayune, November 10, 

1981) 

November 9, 1981 Governor Treen holds a news conference 
and releases his Reconciliation Plan 
and reiterates his threat to veto 
the Nunez Plan. The House reverses 
its vote adopting the Alario amendment 
and substitutes the Treen Reconciliation 
Plan, 74-26, as an amendment to Senate 
Bill €. The Senate rejects the House 
amendments to Senate Bill ¥, 28-3, 
forcing the necessity of a conference 
committee. (Times/Picayune, November 

10, 1981)  



Chronology page four 

November 10 and 11, 1981 Negotiations to work out a 
compromise plan in the conference 
committee. Governor Treen is shown 
the plan and agrees to accept it. 
(Times /Picayune, November 13, 1981) 

November 11, 1981 The Conference Committee adopts a 
plan similar to the Treen Reconciliation 
Plan, 4-2. (Legislative history, 
Additional Information) 

November 12, 1981 Final day of the special legislative 
session. Both the Senate and House 
adopt the Conference Committee Bill. 

Governor Treen holds a news conference, 

stating that "I feel very confident that 
the plan will meet Justice Department and 
federal court review" and that he has had 
"informal communications" with the Justice 
Department on the matter, but refused to 
answer questions about those contacts. 
(Times /Picayune, November 13, 1981) 

November 13, 1981 The Times /Picayune reports that 
Congressmen Livingston and Moore told 
its Washington, D.C., bureau that 
they and their aides played a role in 
nudging the governor on one hand and 
the Democrats in the delegation 
on the other towards a compromise. 
(Times /Picayune, November 13, 1981) 

 



Census 

1980 

1970 

1960 

1950 

1940 

1930 

Louisiana Congressional Districts 

Population of the State of Louisiana, 

Orleans Parish and Jefferson Parish 

1930 through 1980 Census 

State of Louisiana 

Population Ideal Congressional District     

4,203,972 525,497 

3,644,637 455,580 

3,257,022 407,128 

2,683,516 335, 440 

2,363,880 295,485 

2,101,593 262,699 

From 1933 to present, the State of Louisiana has had eight 
Congressional districts. 

Census 

1980 

1970 

1960 

1950 

1940 

1930 

Orleans Parish 

    
Population Number of Ideal Districts 

557,482 

593,471 

627,525 

570,445 

494,537 

458,762  



Jefferson Parish 

Population Number of Ideal Districts     

454,592 0.87 

338,229 0.74 

208,769 0.51 

103,873 0.31 

50,427 0.17 

40,032 0.15