In a letter to Governor Brian Kemp (R-GA), the Georgia Senate stated that it would not consider redistricting Georgia during the special legislative session.
President Pro Tempore Larry Walker (R-Perry) confirmed it in an official statement from.
Will redistricting take place at all? Sen. Walker confirmed that this process would eventually take place, but outlined his reasoning for why it should be done at a later date.
What Sen. Walker had to say:
- “Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais, there was no question that Georgia would need to draw new congressional maps. The question was not if, but when.”
- “With that context in mind, it is important to recognize that the timing of the Callais decision places Georgia in a different position than states that were required to respond immediately to court orders.”
- “We believe it is prudent to allow the judicial process to continue developing in other states and to carefully evaluate how courts rule on newly adopted district maps across the country.”
- “With this guidance, we are confident that Georgia’s new districts will ultimately withstand legal scrutiny and that Georgia will prevail in defending its position in court.”
- “For these reasons, the Senate sent a letter to Governor Kemp informing him that redistricting will not be taken up during this Special Legislative Session.”
Context: This issue came to the forefront after the Supreme Court ruled in Louisiana v. Callais that Louisiana’s districting constituted a racial gerrymander.
The Court essentially ruled that the Voting Rights Act does not require that districts be drawn based on racial makeup.
Gov. Kemp initially refused to call for a special session so that Georgia’s 2026 electoral maps could be redrawn, but agreed with the call to redraw the state’s districts for 2028.
For this, the Governor was heavily criticized by Georgia Democrats, like Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA), who accused him of attempting to gerrymander the state and avoid accountability.
The Georgia Senate is well within its rights to redistrict the state, based on Louisiana v. Callais. For Georgia Republicans not to take this opportunity is particularly strange.
