Greetings!  I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving!  I did, but am back to political reality now.  

I am writing to keep you informed about redistricting, and to ask for your help. 

We started a special session today at the General Assembly, to draw new voting maps.  Normally, we don’t go back until the first week of January but in case you haven’t heard already, the United States District Court Judge Steve Jones ruled that Georgia’s 2021 Congressional and legislative maps violate Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, directing the legislature to produce new maps. Judge Jones ordered us to redraw the maps by Dec. 8.
 
The court’s ruling  found that the 2021 redistricting by the Legislature illegally weakened Black voters’ political power. But, the order was very specific about which districts violate the Voting Rights Act, in addition to where and how the new districts are to be drawn.  We were asked to add one additional Congressional district, five additional State House Districts, and two additional State Senate districts with Black majorities.

Unfortunately, the Republican State House map, released just yesterday,  goes well beyond what the court recommended.  It makes a deliberate choice to target  several Democrats outside the areas the judge identified, including me, pairing us with fellow Democrats. You can read more here: 

Georgia Republicans move to cut losses as they propose majority-Black districts in special session | AP News

This bill is on a fast track.  Public comment was scheduled for Wednesday, then moved to Thursday, then back to Wednesday.  There will be more public comment today, Thursday at 1pm, but also a vote. If you can come to the hearing at 1pm at 506 CLOB and speak, that would be great. 


 But if you cannot come in person, you can also help by commenting on the public portal, which will become a part of the court record. All testimony became essential in the previous court case.  We think the Republican map is risky and that Judge Jones will not approve.  But we need your help to make our case.  

   https://www.legis.ga.gov/joint-office/reapportionment/public-comments

The most helpful comments may reflect that I have represented a majority black district for five years, and I have developed long standing ties.  I am the candidate of choice in this district, with a black voting population of 62%. Representative Draper  is also elected as a candidate of choice for one year in a majority black district of 58.5%.   By pairing the two of us, and creating one map with a black voting population of 51%, the Republican map effectively eliminates a candidate of choice by black voters.  

Also, 

• The Republican map reflects undue partisan gerrymandering mid cycle and is unnecessarily disruptive to voters.  It modifies 56 districts out of 180.  
• The Democratic map does what the court ordered - it is more surgical, and less disruptive to voters.  It modifies 23 districts.  

You can view the maps HERE , thanks to Fair Districts GA . I am now in the new HD 90 in the State House Remedy map proposed by Republicans.  I am in the State House 89 Remedy Map in the GSDC - the Democratic proposed map - the district does not change from the current map.