Lawmakers will convene in Baton Rouge for a special session to discuss election matters. Specifically, they'll debate bills to redraw congressional and state supreme court district lines and proposals that could change how Louisiana's elections are conducted.
If Governor Jeff Landry gets his way, Louisiana will move away from the open jungle primary system it's used to conduct elections for nearly 50 years to the closed party primary system used in the majority of the United States.
"What the governor wants to change is: he wants to have where there's a Republican and a Democratic candidate in each election," Senate President Cameron Henry (R-Metairie) told WWL's Tommy Tucker. "Only Republicans can vote for that Republican candidate, and only Democrats can vote for their candidates."
Henry says Governor Landry wants to explore a move to closed party primaries to prevent Louisiana Congress members from losing seniority when elected. That's because Louisiana's current system puts Congressional runoffs in December, one month after all other states decide their Congressional races.
"It means they would be on course with the rest of the country," Henry said. "Washington is based on seniority. What positions you get, leadership roles, a lot of that has to do with seniority."
Henry says the big question is: Do lawmakers have any interest in making those changes now? Henry concedes lawmakers may not have the appetite to make those changes.
"I don't know what the appetite is for members for that in this particular session," Henry says. "We're going to see how the selling goes with that--you know, how well the governor and his staff can create a sense of urgency on why we need to do it, which I think they'll be able to do. It's education that's required at this point."
Henry also acknowledges that local leaders may push back on the idea.
"Whether or not our local elected officials want to fall into this category, I'm sure we'll hear from them, whether it's going to be the (district attorneys) or the school board members that would fall into this," Henry said.
