US House Redistricting: Louisiana

[Platypus]

An attempt to:

*Create a 55% Black district that doesn't include New Orleans
*A second district that is majority-minority
*Avoid crossing Lake Pontchartrain
*Population deviation less that 75 from ideal
*Beyond the A-A non-New Orleans district, attempt to keep parish and city boundaries intact.

I was successful in all but the last category, in which I was relatively close; and in crossing the Lake (but I did it via unpopulated land, not water, so I'm giving myself that one).



Not much detail required, you get the idea.

D1 (thistle) White 75%, Black 19%
D2 (green) White 47%, Black 41%
D3 (orange) White 68%, Black 25%
D4 (yellow) White 74%, Black 20%
D5 (pink) White 67%, Black 29%
D6 (navy blue) White 41%, Black 55%

[Platypus]

The conventional wisdom here seems to be that the VRA district must extend all the way to Baton Rouge. I just made one that's 53% black and only extends up to take in parts of Iberville and Ascension Parishes. I used 2009 ACS, but something like that should still end up being majority VAP black by census numbers, right?

Probably not. The ACS ended up way overestimating New Orleans' population. The VRA seat is going to have to go into Baton Rouge.

But it doesn't have to go into New Orleans.

(any comments on my map?)

[Platypus]

Well there you go. I wonder if it would survive a challenge nowadays...

[Platypus]

So, in short, it depends on the composition of the court at that point in time, if it was the second proposal. If it was the first proposal, it could be rejected completely without any chance of returning.

I think?