Georgia's Democrats are at it again. Their top priority right now is to go against the will of Georgia's voters as much as they can in order to hold power in this State that has been trending Republican over the past ten years. They do it in many, usually dishonest, ways. This time, it is through drawing gerrymandered and unequal legislative districts.
King Governor Barnes (aka KGB) made his call for special sessions; yes, sessions; in in order to draw first the state legislative districts, and then the U.S. Congressional districts. This is unprecedented in the State of Georgia. Every ten years, each state in the Union must redraw its political districts in accordance with the findings of the new census. Previously in Georgia, as in most States, state legislative districts and U.S. Congressional districts are drawn during a single session. However, KGB went against precedent here in Georgia and called two different sessions.
Why would KGB call two different sessions? In 1981 and 1991, there was what white Democrats call an "unholy alliance" between white Republicans and black Democrats. This alliance ensured that there would be three Black influenced U.S. Congressional districts (of 11 in 1991), and numerous Black majority State Assembly and Senate seats. This also created several majority Republican seats. Today in Georgia, there are three Black Democrats and eight White Republicans in the U.S. House. In 1991, the Democrats had a massive majority in the State legislature. This alliance didn't unduely harm the Democrats because the would still easily hold control of the State government. That isn't so today. The Republicans have narrowed the margin. The only reasons Republicans haven't taken control outright is due to gerrymandered districts and overpopulated Republican districts. KGB wants to continue this. He wants White Democrats to retain control.
The electorate of the State of Georgia has regularly indicated in recent years that it prefers Republicans. In each of the last three biennial legislative election cycles, Republican legislative candidates have outpolled their Democratic counterparts. However, because Republican districts are overpopulated and their having victory margins greater than Democrats due to gerrymandering, Democrats retain control of the State legislature.
The process being followed in this years redistricting process has already been unfair. The Senate Reapportionment Committee (sic) is loaded with Democratics. There are only four Republicans on the committee. There are 17 Democrats on the same committee. Another rule adopted flies in the face of the idea of "one man, one vote". The Democrats have adopted a rule that allows for a ten percent varience in the population of districts. This means that a district can be 5 percent higher or lower than the average district size. In other words, for the State Assembly, each district much contain between 43,000 and 47,500 people. This is a significant difference. This despite the fact that federal law requires U.S. Congressional districts have virtually ZERO variation in population. It is clear that once these new districts are drawn that Democratic districts are going to be near 43,000 people per district and Republican districts will be near 47,500 people. Does anyone think that the Democrats are beyond this? Is so, you are hopelessly naive. The Democrats will try to keep their majority through gerrymandering and unequal districts.
Is this fair to the voters of the State of Georgia? Most certainly not. Bill Shipp, a well known Georgia columnist, rediculed Georgia Republican preparations, currently led by Chairman Ralph Reed, to go to court. I submit that this is the only way to protect the voters of the State of Georgia. We have bragged to the rest of the world how this is a government of the people, for the people, and by the people. However, with mechanisms such as being done by the Democrats here in Georgia, we are completely belying what we claim to be. This is completely un-American. But, since when has that stopped Georgia's Democrats?