RCDC’s Strong Opposition to Proposed District Maps
OFFICIAL TESTIMONY TO THE
GEORGIA LEGISLATIVE & CONGRESSIONAL REAPPORTIONMENT COMMITTEE
GEORGIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION – NOVEMBER 2023
The Rockdale County Democratic Committee submits today on behalf of the people of Rockdale County our Official Testimony to address our Strong Opposition to the discriminatory district maps that have been created by the Georgia General Assembly during the November 2023 Special Legislative Session.
These proposed maps do not meet the legal requirements as set forth by U.S. District Court Judge Steve Jones ordering the Georgia Lawmakers to create an additional minority-majority African-American Congressional District and several minority-majority African-American State House and Senate districts on or before December 8, 2023.
U.S. District Court Judge Steve Jones is quoted referencing Georgia’s U.S. Congressional Districts, Georgia State Senate Districts and Georgia State House of Representatives Districts as follows, “However, the evidence before this Court shows that Georgia has not reached the point where the political process has equal openness and equal opportunity for everyone.”
Rockdale County currently has a population of 94,082 according to the 2020 census. The population breakdown is 59.4% African-American, 25.8% White, 10.7% Hispanic and 4.1% Other. Based on the 2020 census 74.2% of Rockdale County is comprised of minorities of which African-Americans are the minority-majority. Yet the Republican controlled Georgia Legislature has proposed Congressional, State Senate, and State House map with districts that thwart the will of the people in Rockdale County.
Currently, Rockdale County has four State House Representatives and one State Senator. The proposed maps and the districts included therein have reduced our county’s representation by 25% in the State House of Representatives. Further, the maps did not increase our State Senate representation, however the map has shifted the entire county out of the 4th Congressional District that has strongly represented the needs of the Rockdale community into the 13th Congressional District, which includes Clayton County, Henry County, Dekalb County, Newton County, Rockdale County and Gwinnett County.
In fact, the Republican led Georgia Assembly under this special session has worked to redraw the lines again that would have an adverse effect on our community and the entire 4th Congressional District of Georgia which includes Dekalb, Rockdale and Newton counties. Clearly, these proposed maps are an attempt to punish the Democratic strong hold in these districts, dilute our voice by shifting the representation to maximize the Republican agendas as these maps continue to disenfranchise the voters in Rockdale and surrounding counties.
The House and Senate Democratic Caucus under this special session presented maps that would meet the needs of our community by increasing our Senate representation by one member, maintaining our current House representation with four members, and keeping us within the 4th Congressional District of Georgia. Rockdale County wholeheartedly supports the proposed maps submitted by the House and Senate Democratic Caucus as they speak directly to the needs of our community.
It appears as though the intent of the Court with the redrawing of the lines in Georgia was for the Democrats to get an additional US House seat in Metro-Atlanta and to narrow the large Republican majority in the state Legislature. In our opinion, clearly the maps submitted do not meet the request of the Court. We are fighting for our voice and our vote and the ability to elect candidates of our choice.
The maps as submitted infringes upon the Voting Rights Act and protecting voting rights is an essential part of our mission and the reason, we are compelled to submit this letter stating our opposition.
There is an epic fight for control of the US House of Representatives and the Georgia State Legislature. What happens in the state of Georgia is going to be very impactful on whether Democrats have a realistic shot of winning back the congressional seat we lost and acquiring greater representation in the state Legislature.
Republicans continue to promote discriminatory voting practices and refuse to create maps and districts that will give voters a chance to elect candidates of their choice. Specifically, in Rockdale County, we have been adversely affected by the maps that have been submitted by the Republican controlled Legislature, whereby we have lost 25% of our representation in the House and the Republicans have failed to increase our representation in the Senate.
| Proposed Maps View all |
TALKING POINTS
The Republican map violates the Voting Rights Act because it takes away two majority-minority districts in Dekalb and Gwinnett counties that are protected by the Voting Rights Act.- Because Judge Jones can’t approve an unlawful map as a remedy, the Republican map risks having the federal court redraw our districts for us.
- Like Alabama, Georgia is simply thumbing its nose at the federal court by adopting the unlawful GOP map. It’s not a good-faith effort to comply with the Voting Rights Act.
- The Republican map changes 56 districts. The Democratic map changes only 23.
- Unlike the Republican map, the Democratic map complies with the Voting Rights Act by creating five new majority-minority districts in the areas that Judge Jones identified.
- If the Republican map is passed, the entire Georgia House of Representatives will be in jeopardy.
House Democratic Caucus
