MANSFIELD, La. – The DeSoto Parish Police Jury is now reviewing a second redistricting proposal that was filed in federal court on Tuesday. The alternative map, prepared by Cedric Floyd, president of the Data Center, comes as the jury maintains that it has not formally endorsed any plan.

Floyd’s filing and the jury’s response

Floyd submitted a 49‑page report to U.S. District Judge Jerry Edwards, presenting a map that would keep five majority‑Black districts in and around Mansfield and preserve the current incumbents in separate districts. The cover sheet states the plan was prepared “for” the Police Jury in response to the special master’s report, but Parish Administrator Michael Norton clarified that the jury did not commission the work and has taken no vote on the proposal.

“The Police Jury has not responded to the proposed plan because that would require a vote of a majority of the jury and that was not done,” Norton said. He added that a copy of Floyd’s report was emailed to him by Police Juror Jeri Burrell, with Mansfield Mayor Thomas Jones also receiving a copy.

Background of the redistricting dispute

The current district lines are being challenged in a federal lawsuit filed in May 2023 by a group of DeSoto Parish voters. The plaintiffs allege that the existing map was racially gerrymandered, arguing that race was the predominant factor in drawing the lines and that the five majority‑Black districts in Mansfield were retained despite population losses.

The case was paused while the U.S. Supreme Court considered the Louisiana congressional redistricting case Louisiana v. Callais. That decision held that the Voting Rights Act did not require Louisiana to create an additional majority‑minority congressional district. The DeSoto plaintiffs argue the same reasoning should apply to the Police Jury’s districts.

Special master’s remedial plan

In June, the Police Jury voted to work with the plaintiffs toward a resolution rather than proceed to trial. Judge Edwards then barred the jury from using its existing map for future elections and ordered a new map to be developed. The court appointed Thomas Bryan, a Virginia demographer, as special master.

Bryan’s “BGD2 Remedial Plan” would cut the number of majority‑Black districts in Mansfield from five to two, split Stonewall between two districts, place four incumbents together, and create new districts without incumbents. His criteria emphasized equal population (2,437 residents per district), minimizing community splits, and preserving communities of interest, while protecting incumbents was ranked last.

How Floyd’s proposal differs

Floyd’s alternative keeps the five majority‑Black districts and maintains the same population size for each district. He places incumbent protection as the top priority, retains existing district numbers, and continues the current split of Mansfield that has been used in previous redistricting cycles.

Floyd argues that Bryan’s plan conflicts with the Supreme Court’s Callais decision, pointing to changes in district numbers, the merging of incumbents, and the reduction of majority‑Black districts as departures from the Court’s guidance. He also notes that the Police Jury did not create a new majority‑Black district after the 2020 Census and that the plaintiffs had a ten‑year window to challenge the 2010 redistricting plan, which they did not use.

Next steps in the case

Special master Bryan must submit his final report and proposed map to Judge Edwards by October 22. Interested parties have until November 6 to file responses. Judge Edwards is expected to issue an order by December 22, either adopting the special master’s recommendations or modifying them based on the filings.

The Police Jury’s next election is slated for fall 2027, at which point the new district map is expected to be in effect.

Community impact

Both proposals aim to balance compliance with federal law and the preservation of local representation. Residents and local officials will closely monitor the court’s decision, as the final map will shape the political landscape of DeSoto Parish for the next decade.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.