Judge orders Georgia to draw new congressional map
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Georgia legislators will hold a special session next month to redraw several congressional districts after a federal judge ruled they violated the Voting Rights Act.
The latest: The ruling, issued Thursday by U.S. District Court Judge Steve C. Jones, said the boundaries in violation are Districts 3, 6, 11, 13, and 14.
- It also determined the lines for several Senate and House districts violate the act, which went into effect in 1965 and prohibits racial discrimination in voting and electoral matters.
- The legislature is required to draw new boundaries by Dec. 8.
- Gov. Brian Kemp issued a proclamation following the decision Thursday ordering the special session to start Nov. 29.
Why it matters: The ruling is a big win for Georgia Democrats, and could lead to the election of more Black representatives in Congress, according to the AJC.
- The court said the plaintiffs and Black residents "whose voting rights have been injured by the violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act have suffered significant harm."
- "Those citizens are entitled to vote as soon as possible for their representatives under a lawful apportionment plan," the court said.
What they're saying: Georgia Democratic Party Chair and U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams in a statement called it a "resounding victory for Georgia voters and for democracy."
- She also said the Republicans state lawmakers "hastily" drew maps to give themselves an electoral advantage and diminish the voting power of Black residents.
- "Today's decision confirms what Georgia Democrats already knew: Georgia Republicans' attempts to hold onto power via voter suppression and racial gerrymandering will not stand," she said in a statement.
The other side: Josh McKoon, chairperson of the Georgia Republican Party, criticized the ruling.
- "It is simply outrageous that one far-left federal judge is invalidating the will of the elected representatives of the people of Georgia," he said in a statement the party shared on X.
The judge's order also calls on legislators to create:
- Another majority-Black Congressional district in west-metro Atlanta;
- Two majority-Black Senate and two majority-Black House districts on the southside of metro Atlanta;
- Another majority-Black House district in the west metro area;
- And two majority-Black House districts in the Bibb County area.
The big picture: The battle over redistricting and whether lawmaker-approved maps are racially gerrymandered is also playing out across the country, namely Alabama, South Carolina and North Carolina.
- A federal judge earlier this month approved a new congressional map for Alabama that included a new majority-Black district.
