ATLANTA — State leaders released an updated draft of the new US House districts to be considered during the 2021 Special Session in Georgia Tuesday.
According to a news release from the Georgia House of Representatives, House leaders will meet Wednesday to redraw congressional and legislative districts.
The draft was released by Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan and Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment Committee Chairwoman Bonnie Rich.
The Republican majority is looking to increase the number of congressional seats their party holds, while retaining control of the state House and Senate.
“Through an inclusive, exhaustive and transparent process, we have produced a fair and equitable map representative of Georgia’s changing demographics and shifting population centers that is in full compliance with the spirit and letter of the law,” said Speaker David Ralston.
House leadership says the new draft map reduces the number of counties split between districts from 73 to 68 preserving communities of interest around the state. It creates some new minority opportunity districts and complies with the provisions of the Voting Rights Act.
An Associated Press analysis finds at least one state Senate district and as many as four House districts may have to shift out of middle and south Georgia. Northwest Georgia also could lose a House district. Eliminating Black Democrats could invite lawsuits, and there's only one white Democrat remaining in the General Assembly. A county had to grow by more than 10% just to keep up with Georgia's overall growth, but cities and suburbs gained people while 53 of the 71 smallest counties lost population.