Federal judge examines Georgia's redrawn political maps
Federal judge scrutinizing redrawn district maps
A federal judge in Atlanta is taking a close look at Georgia’s redrawn political district maps approved by state lawmakers this month. The judge ordered the do-over because he said the old ones violated the voting rights act and were racially discriminatory.
ATLANTA - A federal judge held a hearing on Wednesday to determine if Georgia's newly redrawn district maps comply with his order.
During the hearing at the federal courthouse in Downtown Atlanta, U.S. District Judge Steve Jones took a close look at the redrawn political maps approved by state lawmakers this month.
"These maps do not remedy the problem at all," said State Representative Viola Davis, a democrat from District 87.
Critics argue the new maps are not legal either and they do not give any more power to Black voters like they were ordered to do.
During arguments Wednesday, attorneys called it a "shell game."
"When he says additions, additions to me means that you add that you get five extra, five extra seats and that is not what has been done," said State Representative Sandra Scott, the Minority Caucus Chief Deputy Whip. "Only thing they did was move people around."
"I think that a lot of time, energy and effort was put in to make sure this complied with the judge's order," said State Senator Bo Hatchett, earlier this month. "That's what it did and we look forward to moving forward."
In October, U.S. District Judge Steve Jones ruled that some of Georgia’s congressional, state Senate and state House districts were drawn in a racially discriminatory manner, ordering the state to draw an additional Black-majority congressional district, two additional Black-majority state Senate districts and five additional Black-majority state House districts.
Days before Jones' imposed deadline of Dec. 8, state lawmakers completed a special session to deal with the order - voting 98-71 to give final passage to a congressional map that preserves a 9-5 edge for Republicans in Georgia’s congressional delegation to Washington, while creating a Black-majority district on the west side of metro Atlanta. It joins a state House and state Senate map that also would safeguard GOP control of Georgia’s General Assembly.
The GOP congressional map creates a new majority-Black district in parts of Fulton, Douglas, Cobb and Fayette counties on Atlanta’s west side. But instead of targeting a Republican, it shifts Re. Lucy McBath’s current majority nonwhite district in suburban Gwinnett and Fulton counties into a district tailored for current Republican U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick, stretching from Atlanta’s northern suburbs into its heavily Republican northern mountains.
The three sets of plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit that led to Jones' order urged the judge to reject the maps, calling them a "mockery" of federal law and a "total failure of compliance."
"The inescapable conclusion is that the proposed plans do not come close to following the court’s order," wrote lawyers for one of two sets of plaintiffs challenging state legislative districts. "Putting eyes on the 2023 proposed plans confirms the total failure of compliance."
But state Republicans say they have followed Jones' order as directed.
"This plan adds the required district; it complies with Judge Jones’ order," said House Redistricting and Reapportionment Committee Chairman Rob Leverett, a Republican from Elberton. "It fulfills our obligation as a General Assembly with respect to congressional districts."
If Jones disapproves of the maps, he could appoint a special master to redraw them for the court.
The maps have to be finalized by next month to get ready for the March primary.
FOX 5 reached out to the Attorney General’s Office for comment but has not heard back.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.