U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette, tells our editorial board that Louisiana's House delegation has agreed on principles to guide the redrawing of the state's congressional districts. It's the Legislature's job, but the state lawmakers and the governor are only too happy to hand the job back to the congressmen.

 

The principles generally represent the interests of the incumbents, and they may not be mutually compatible. We hope one favored by Boustany will remain a reality: that one congressional district will continue to contain Lafayette and St. Landry on one end and Lake Charles on the other. The two ends of the district, and everybody in between, share common history, culture, economic interests and, we hope, economic cooperation in the future.

One thing's certain: If such a district emerges from the remapping process, it won't be called the 7th Congressional District, as it is now. Part of the difficulty this year comes from the fact that, because of slow population growth, Louisiana will lose one of its seven House seats.

As for the rest: Federal law seems to dictate that we have at least one district with a black majority big enough to make victory possible for a black candidate. So Orleans seems certain to remain a black-majority, and Democratic-leaning, district.

North Louisiana would like very much to keep the current setup that has one district centered on Shreveport and another on Monroe. That keeps two districts in the north. The alternative is an "I-20" district that encompasses both cities. If the north, which generally grows more slowly than the south, is to maintain two districts, they're likely to come farther south.

We hope that doesn't mean that the western and eastern ends of what is now the 7th District will be sectioned off. Officials in both ends of the district have worked to create ties and cooperation, particularly in pursuit of international commerce. Boustany has introduced legislation that would free funding from an existing levy to be used for port dredging here and around the country. The whole region, as well as Lake Charles, could benefit.

The eastern and western portions of the district have an abiding interest in energy production issues and in coastal restoration, particularly since the central and western portions of the coast have tended to be overlooked in the discussion. Dividing the district means its interests must compete with other interests for the attention of lawmakers in bigger, less geographically logical districts. Keep Lafayette-St. Landry and Calcasieu in the same district.