CHANGE IN POPULATION LAUNCHES REDRAWING OF LOCAL AND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS
by Sharon Rondeau
(Aug. 13, 2011) — On Monday, August 15, 2011, the Georgia General Assembly will convene in a special session at the state capitol in Atlanta to discuss redistricting following the 2010 census, which gave the state one more congressional seat in the U.S. House of Representatives for a total of 14. Redistricting, or “apportionment,” is the purview of the General Assembly as stated in Article III, Section 2, paragraph 2 of the Georgia constitution.
Following the census, most states maintained their previous levels of representation in the U.S. House, but Georgia, Florida, Texas, and several Western states increased in population and therefore federal representation. The 2010 census determined that between 2000 and 2010, the Georgia’s population had increased by roughly 1,500,000.
Georgia is one of the original 13 colonies which fought the American Revolution against King George III of Great Britain, after whom the state is named.
After the results of the census were made public last December, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that, in regard to Georgia redistricting, “Preliminary estimates show that as many as six state House seats and two state Senate seats will likely shift from South Georgia to metro Atlanta” and that court challenges to the resulting redistricting map would be likely based on historical precedent. A report from August 12, 2011 suggests that a court battle could ensue if Democrats reject the new plan, as is expected.
North Georgia has increased in population, while the southern portion of the state has lost residents, changes which will affect the newly-drawn map following the meeting of the legislature. While some districts are not expected to change significantly, others are, particularly in the Columbus area.
The proposed redistricting map of the Georgia Senate is here. The proposed map for the Georgia House of Representatives is here. Both show the concentration of districts in the metropolitan Atlanta area. There are 180 House districts and 56 Senate districts in the proposal.
The Pitchfork Rally organized by Carl Swensson will coincide with the special session of the legislature outside of the Capitol starting at 10:00 a.m.
As a result of hearings which have been ongoing throughout the spring and summer, members of both the Georgia House and Senate from the same party will be competing to retain their respective seats. There are a committee from the House, the Senate, and a Joint Reapportionment Office working on the redistricting for the state, although previously reapportionment was carried out by the University of Georgia.
The guidelines for reapportionment as drawn up by the Congressional Reapportionment Committee are here. While August 15 is the day on which the Georgia General Assembly will “consider” the newly-drawn district proposal, the Committee will hear from the public as well as from others who might have devised alternative plans the following day.
While Republicans controlled the process, which began in April, some Democrats objected to the establishing of the Joint Reapportionment Office and requested that a second office be opened to serve the needs of “the minority party.” The request was rejected, and it has been reported that Democrats oppose the redistricting completed by the Republicans and have accused them of “trying to purge Georgia of white Democrats.”
A redistricting map has been released which Chairman Roger Lane stated was agreed upon by the House Committee “in a bipartisan, unanimous vote on July 20.” Lane also stated that the reapportionment agreement, among other things, “avoids the unnecessary pairing of incumbents.”
One of the stated goals of Rep. Ed Rynders, who is on the committee and whose district could change, is to “keep the minority districts intact.”
Jim Galloway of The Political Insider reported on August 3, 2011, that Rep. Mark Hatfield, who was the chief proponent of a presidential eligibility bill during the last session of the Georgia General Assembly, “has been paired in the same district with Jason Spencer, a Republican from more populated Camden County.”
Other members of the same party are paired against one another in the new plan.
Galloway then contends:
The fact that Hatfield last year pushed legislation to force President Barack Obama to make public his birth certificate, even as Georgia Republicans were pressing the White House for federal cash to dredge the Port of Savannah, obviously has nothing to do with the cartographer’s decision.
The Post & Email reported on Hatfield’s efforts regarding a presidential eligibility bill here and here. There had been 94 cosponsors of the bill, which died in committee. The proposal was originally made by Hatfield in April 2010 as HB1516. Hatfield has been quoted as having described himself as a “Constitutionalist” and that the matter of presidential eligibility concerned “enforcing the constitutional provisions for anyone who seeks the office of presidency.”