A U.S. District Court Judge has ruled in favor of the newly drawn Congressional districts in the state of Georgia drafted by Republican lawmakers. The new ruling puts to rest a prolonged legal battle which began in 2018, when two groups brought before the court their grievances against the voting maps drawn up by the state’s majority party.
The groups, led by the Georgia NAACP and the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, argued that the new voting maps were drawn in a way that unfairly marginalized a large section of the state’s Black and Latino population. This argument was rooted in the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1965 decision in the case, ‘Jefferson v. Miller’, which made it unconstitutional for state legislatures to draw lines which resulted in diminishing the electoral influence of minority groups.
In the new ruling released on Tuesday, Judge Eleanor L. Ross found that the current map met the requirements of the Voting Rights Act and was drawn in a way that considers the state population as a whole. Ross also suggested that the plaintiffs presented insufficient evidence to support their claims that the Georgia districts were racially gerrymandered.
This ruling comes after several attempts to draw viable maps have been made by both the state’s Democratic and Republican parties. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and state lawmakers initiated the most recent map-drawing process in September 2019, prompting the legal battle that has now come to an end with the court’s decision.
Although the battle over the congressional lines has been considered a win for the Georgia GOP, the two groups supported by the NAACP and the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda have vowed to continue fighting for redistricting processes that are fair to minority communities in the state.
In the meantime, Georgia Republicans will continue to enjoy an 8-to-5 advantage in the state’s congressional delegation. As Georgia prepares to elect two U.S. senators for the first time in more than 20 years, this ruling is likely to have a major impact on the state’s political future.
A U.S. District Court Judge has ruled in favor of the newly drawn Congressional districts in the state of Georgia drafted by Republican lawmakers. The new ruling puts to rest a prolonged legal battle which began in 2018, when two groups brought before the court their grievances against the voting maps drawn up by the state’s majority party.
The groups, led by the Georgia NAACP and the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, argued that the new voting maps were drawn in a way that unfairly marginalized a large section of the state’s Black and Latino population. This argument was rooted in the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1965 decision in the case, ‘Jefferson v. Miller’, which made it unconstitutional for state legislatures to draw lines which resulted in diminishing the electoral influence of minority groups.
In the new ruling released on Tuesday, Judge Eleanor L. Ross found that the current map met the requirements of the Voting Rights Act and was drawn in a way that considers the state population as a whole. Ross also suggested that the plaintiffs presented insufficient evidence to support their claims that the Georgia districts were racially gerrymandered.
This ruling comes after several attempts to draw viable maps have been made by both the state’s Democratic and Republican parties. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and state lawmakers initiated the most recent map-drawing process in September 2019, prompting the legal battle that has now come to an end with the court’s decision.
Although the battle over the congressional lines has been considered a win for the Georgia GOP, the two groups supported by the NAACP and the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda have vowed to continue fighting for redistricting processes that are fair to minority communities in the state.
In the meantime, Georgia Republicans will continue to enjoy an 8-to-5 advantage in the state’s congressional delegation. As Georgia prepares to elect two U.S. senators for the first time in more than 20 years, this ruling is likely to have a major impact on the state’s political future.
