A new session is set to go underway, as Georgia plans to redesign the political maps. This is all due to the findings of the federal judge who has discovered illegal lines of the district not allowing for the impact by Black voters to be properly felt.
Additionally, the new maps are likely to change the balance of power in the state legislature, where Republicans continue to fight in order to hold to the U.S. House majority.
The lawmakers themselves have only until December 8th to approve of the maps that are to properly comply with the federal Voting Rights Act, where discriminatory voting practices are wrongly based on race and additional traits.
Back in October, the United States District Court Judge Steve Jones had ordered Georgia General Assembly to draw a majority-Black congressional district and several Black state House and Senate seats. Georgia as of now has yet to reach the equality that the political process of voting requires.
In Georgia’s legislature, Republicans hold majorities in either chamber, allowing for almost entire control of the map drawing. However, after the maps clear legislature. However, the maps will still need final approval from the court, even after getting agreed upon by Republican Governor Brian Kemp.
As of recent, the Republicans out of Georgia, have tried to show that they’ll comply with Judge Jones’ order as there’s also the drive to preserve the incumbents while also preserving the partisan advantage. As of Monday, the public Senate map has made a new Black district in West Metro Atlanta, while also making another district in the South. That’s all where growing quantities of Black residents have themselves fueled the state’s population growth.
Racial gerrymandering being illegal, certain lawmakers still try to avoid the red tape by way of partisan gerrymandering. Democratic groups criticizing the proposed Senate maps of Georgia alongside the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, regarding the map as gerrymandered and undemocratic.
Hearings all through the public allows for feedback to be provided whiles there’s only a couple of days to finalize the maps, given how substantive changes could be made. Much encouragement is coming through for a step away from legal technicalities in order to observe a better coverage of Georgia history. The state themselves have tried to appeal the decision to redraw maps while not trying to appeals the order while the appeal plays out. Lawyers involved think the appeal might take months to play out. All to indicate how new maps could be set in place for the 2024 elections.