(The Center Square) – The Tennessee General Assembly is scheduled to vote on a new congressional map on Thursday, a day after protestors attempted to disrupt committee meetings.
Lawmakers moved to advance a new congressional map that leans heavily Republican and places Shelby County into three separate congressional districts for floor votes.
But before lawmakers vote on a new map, they must first agree to repeal a state law that bars them from redrawing districts between apportionments, which usually occur after a U.S. Census count. Another bill would set the qualifying date for the new districts on May 15.
The Republican supermajority moved the necessary bills through committee, but some were halted to allow protestors who were singing songs and being loud in disruption to be removed.
Former Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the changes would confuse voters.
“Even if the ultimate intention is to achieve these districts, the compressed timeline signals that there is not good faith intention behind it, because when you have good faith, if you believe in what you are doing, you give people time to adjust and come to terms,” Abrams said.
Abrams and others who testified before committees accused Republicans of trying to dilute the Black vote. House Speaker Cameron Sexton, who sponsored the reapportionment bill, defended the map.
“The map that was generated was based on population and politics; no racial data was used and no incumbents were paired together,” Sexton said during the House Congressional Redistricting Committee meeting.
Gov. Bill Lee called lawmakers back to Nashville for the special session after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Louisiana’s redistricting map, forced by a lower court, relied too heavily on race.
Other states are also redrawing their congressional districts or considering it. Alabama and South Carolina lawmakers are also considering new congressional districts.
A bill signed into law by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday could add four Republican congressional seats. The law is already facing a legal challenge.
