A Louisiana Senate committee has advanced a bill that would reduce judgeships in Orleans Parish. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Jay Morris, aims to "right-size" the court system based on population and case volume in the area. Critics argue that New Orleans courts cannot be easily compared with other jurisdictions and that the study does not capture the city's full caseload. The original version of the bill reduces Civil District Court from 14 judges to 12 and sets up a process for future reviews of Criminal District Court judgeships. Critics also question whether the bill will further weaken diversity on the bench.