ATLANTA — The U.S. Supreme Court took away a key provision of the Voting Rights Act on Wednesday, and it is drawing sharp reaction from both sides of the political aisle
The Voting Rights Act and subsequent court decisions required states to draw district maps that protected the voting power of minorities, allowing maps to be drawn according to race to do that.
In Wednesday’s six-to-three decision, it seems to strike that down, and already, some Republicans are demanding a special session to redraw Georgia’s lines now.
Just two years ago, an Atlanta federal court said the Republican drawn district lines were unconstitutional and ordered the state to add one majority Black Congressional district.
Wednesday’s ruling could undo that.
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Now, some Republicans are demanding that Gov. Brian Kemp call the legislature back into special session so they can begin that process.
Republican state senator and candidate for lieutenant governor, Greg Dolezal, went on social media to do it.
“The last thing the republicans need to do is be weak-kneed in this moment. This is a time to hold this, a time to be aggressive, and in Georgia, that means calling a special session and redrawing our maps,” Dolezal said.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson agreed.
“In light of today’s Supreme Court ruling, redrawing the maps must be added to the agenda,” Jackson said in a statement.
His republican opponent, Burt Jones, would support a special session if one were called.
“I fully support redrawing our state’s legislative maps in compliance with today’s decision,” Jones said in a statement.
But Georgia’s democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock said the decision undid all the hard work civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis did to secure voting rights for minorities.
“Today is a devastating day in the history of our American democracy,” Warnock said. “This decision today by the Supreme Court is a slap in the face of those who worked so hard to push the country closer to its ideals.”
Only the Kemp can call a special session, and he’ll probably have to call one soon for another unrelated voting issue.
About this, his office said: “We are actively analyzing this ruling and its potential impacts, but cannot comment further at this time.”
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