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Jindal to Sign New Louisiana Map

Updated: 7:30 p.m.

Louisiana lawmakers passed a new Congressional map Wednesday evening, just hours before their deadline to finish redistricting in a special legislative session.

Gov. Bobby Jindal said Wednesday evening that he would sign off on the new map, which decreases the number of districts in the state from seven to six.

“We have said all along that we wanted legislators to work together across party lines and across chambers to come to a consensus plan,” the Republican governor said in a statement. “No one thinks this plan is perfect, but it is a good compromise. We will sign it and send it to the Justice Department.”

Louisiana’s map must get final approval from the Justice Department, which will check for compliance with the Voting Rights Act.

The new map eliminates freshman Rep. Jeff Landry’s (R) district, folding his territory into the districts belonging to Republican Reps. Charles Boustany and Steve Scalise.

Rep. Rodney Alexander’s (R) district will extend all the way along the state’s northeastern border, and Scalise’s new district will include much of the southeast part of the state.

Earlier this week, Jindal and five of the six Republicans in the Congressional delegation wrote a letter to state lawmakers, asking them to delay making the map until next year’s session because it was too important to rush.

Boustany, the only Republican not to sign on to that letter, praised the lawmakers for passing a plan.

“I commend the legislature on finishing the difficult task of redistricting,” Boustany said in a statement. “It has always been in the best interest of voters across the state to complete this and avoid uncertainty or confusion in the coming months.”

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