Georgia Senate Republicans Continue to Rush Redistricting Process

After Georgia Senate Republicans fast-tracked their proposed State Senate map through the Redistricting Committee last week – offering a meager couple of hours for public feedback – today they announced plans to bring it up for full Senate consideration tomorrow, less than a week after publicly releasing it.

Critics have slammed Republicans not just for their skewed map, which non-partisan experts have given an “F” grade for fairness, but also for a “hasty process” that fails to incorporate feedback or provide enough time for meaningful public dialogue. Meanwhile, Republicans have refused to answer basic questions about their map proposal, which diminishes the political power of voters of color and creates a “significant Republican advantage.”

“It is disgraceful that Georgia Senate Republicans are continuing to ram their redistricting proposal through the legislature, especially after hearing considerable negative feedback from the public last week. If Republicans don’t slow down and address Georgians’ and nonpartisan experts’ numerous concerns about the fairness of their proposed map, then this redistricting process will become nothing more than a sham,” said Scott Hogan, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Georgia. “The eventual legislative maps will impact Georgians for the next decade, and elected officials must listen to the public to ensure we get it right. Democrats will not stop fighting for fair maps that actually reflect Georgia’s diversity and partisan makeup.”

Read more about Republicans’ sham redistricting process:

ON REPUBLICANS’ “F”-GRADED MAP

• “Many said the map is unfair to Georgia’s racial and ethnic minorities…By drawing minority voters into a small number of districts, lawmakers can reduce their statewide impact.” (Georgia Recorder, 11/5/21)
• “Proposed new senate districts are designed to diminish the influence of voters of color, according to critics of a new state senate map released Tuesday night…Critics accused the Republican majority of gerrymandering, adding GOP leaders were drawing maps shaped to maintain their margin and to diminish strength of voters of color, who have increased their numbers statewide in the last decade.” (11Alive, 11/4/21)
• “‘The Senate Republican plan unnecessarily packs Georgians of color in the 22 majority-minority districts it proposes…The average population of Georgians of color in the 22 majority minority districts is 71.9%. On the other hand, the average white population percentage in the Senate Republican plan’s proposed 34 majority white districts is 64.3%.’” (Georgia Recorder, 11/5/21)
• “‘The current makeup of the Georgia Assembly does not reflect the population of Georgia…People of color now make up half the population of this state and therefore they should make up at least half the population of the Georgia Assembly and any map that does not reflect that – it might be legal but it is not ethical.’” (Georgia Recorder, 11/5/21)
• “Fair Districts GA, a group that tries to prevent gerrymandering, gives the Senate proposal an F, saying it’s far too Republican to reflect the state’s overall partisan balance. The group also faults the map for having only one district where parties are expected to be competitive.” (Associated Press, 11/6/21)
• “[Senate Minority Leader Gloria] Butler complained the map proposed by Senate Republicans would split several counties with large minority populations to dilute minority voting strength. She cited as examples Bibb, Chatham, Athens-Clarke, Douglas and Henry counties.” (Capitol Beat, 11/5/21)

ON REPUBLICANS’ RUSHED PROCESS

• “The legislature drew maps that only came out this week, and today voters finally got to comment on them for the first time…[Republicans] are working on an accelerated schedule, to say the least.” (11Alive, 11/4/21)
• “Others urged the senators to delay the vote to give members of the public more time to consider the maps that will determine Georgia’s political boundary lines for the next decade.” (Georgia Recorder, 11/5/21)
• “The Senate Republicans’ map was unveiled Tuesday, the night before the once-a-decade special Legislative session to redraw Georgia’s political boundaries started and just a little more than an hour before the Braves took the field for the series clincher.” (Georgia Recorder, 11/5/21)
• “The map’s opponents also criticized the committee’s timing – releasing the proposed map last Tuesday on the same day as municipal elections were being held across the state and voting on it even as the Atlanta Braves celebrated this week’s World Series victory with a parade within a few blocks of the Georgia Capitol.” (Capitol Beat, 11/5/21)
• “The proposal passed the Senate Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee on a 9-4 party-line vote over complaints that Republicans pushed too fast for a proposal released late Tuesday.” (Associated Press, 11/6/21)
• “Other Democrats as well as representatives of civil and voting rights groups who testified Friday during a public-comment period accused Republican leaders of rushing the Senate map through the committee in just three days without sufficient chance for public review.” (Capitol Beat, 11/5/21)

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