Georgia Republican lawmakers advanced new legislative district maps on Thursday, despite opposition from Democratic legislators. The proposed maps, which were endorsed by state Republican lawmakers, aim to comply with a federal court order to create seven new majority Black legislative districts. However, Democratic legislators argue that their proposed maps better meet the court’s requirements.
The House and Senate district maps are expected to be voted on in both chambers on Friday, a week ahead of the court’s deadline of December 8. If the state fails to adopt new maps that address the dilution of Black voting power, the court may draw up Georgia’s new districts.
You may also like to watch : Who Is Kamala Harris? Biography - Parents - Husband - Sister - Career - Indian - Jamaican Heritage
The Republican-drawn maps have faced criticism from voting rights groups and Democratic legislators for shifting a large number of Black voters from predominantly Black districts to create new majority Black district boundaries. U.S. District Court Judge Steve C. Jones ruled last month that Georgia’s Republican-controlled legislature violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965 with its 2021 redistricting efforts.
The Democrats’ proposed maps aim to create two new majority Black districts south of Atlanta and in a suburban south Atlanta district. These districts would include a significant number of Black voters who currently reside in minority Black districts. The Democratic plan also considers demographic changes over the past decade, such as a decline in the white population and an increase in the Black population in certain areas.
Republicans argue that their revised maps comply with the court’s order by increasing the number of majority Black districts from 13 to 15. They believe that the state has made progress in removing barriers to voting and that the Democratic arguments reflect outdated concerns.
The House panel advanced the Republican-drawn map with a 9-to-5 vote, setting it up for a potential vote by the full chamber on Friday. House Democrats argue that the GOP’s map may not meet the court’s requirements and could put the entire chamber at risk of having new maps drawn by the court or a special master.
You may also like to watch: Is US-NATO Prepared For A Potential Nuclear War With Russia - China And North Korea?
The outcome of the vote and the adoption of new district maps will have significant implications for the representation and voting power of Black voters in Georgia.
