Georgia Senate approves redistricting map along party lines
ATLANTA - Members of the Georgia Senate voted along party lines Tuesday afternoon to approve a new map for their own districts.
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Every ten years state lawmakers hold a special session in order to redraw the lines for state House, state Senate and Congressional districts based on new U.S. Census data.
During the floor debate, Democrats criticized the Senate map as not representing the people of Georgia. Over the last decade, the state has grown from 9.7 million people to 10.7 million, fueled by an increase in the state's minority population.
"This map before us does not represent the Georgia of today," said state Sen. Dr. Michelle Au, D-Johns Creek. "This map does not see Georgia for who we have become and this map is not what our voters asked for."
Sen. Au represents District 48, which includes the diverse communities of Johns Creek, Duluth, Suwanee and Lawrenceville, among others. Under the new map, the district would stretch north into Forsyth County.
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"The Republican map under consideration takes a city like Johns Creek, the largest new majority-minority city in the state, and draws it into a new district configuration which is majority white," Sen. Au told her fellow lawmakers.
Fellow Democrats said the map was drawn to go after Sen. Au.
"Isn't it true that our current map that we are considering at this time specifically targets a woman and a woman of color to not be able to maintain her seat?" Sen. Kim Jackson, D-Stone Mountain, asked during the floor debate.
Sen. Au declined to comment on whether she plans to run for re-election in the new district, but did tell reporters that she is "a strong candidate."
State Sen. Emanuel Jones, D-Decatur, also raised questions about the decision to "crack" District 17 in Henry County.
"They may be numbers to many of you on the map, but they're my neighbors. They're my friends. They're my customers. They're also my relatives," said Sen. Jones.
Currently, District 17 encompasses much of Henry County and neighboring Newton County. The new map would divide Henry into three state Senate districts with 17 extending into Walton and Morgan counties.
Sen. Jones said the new district would include 24,375 fewer Black residents than the existing district.
Senate Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee Chairman John F. Kennedy, R-Macon, defended the map.
"You're taking one district out of the other 55 and acting as if, or presupposing a question as if, 17 was created first and the other 55 were filled in behind it and that's simply not the case," Sen. Kennedy explained. "The people you're asking about--where are they--they're represented in the other districts around 17."
While the Senate approved the map by a vote of 34 to 21, Democrats said the fight is not over.
"I would hope that the Republican Party would understand that this is a major issue for people of color, not just in Henry County, but also in the state and correct the 17th. But clearly, my colleague said, if it doesn't happen, then we'll see you in court," said Sen. Jones.
The House of Representatives must still vote on the map before it goes to the governor's desk, though that is typically just a formality.