Miss. lawmakers accused of gerrymandering; lawsuit filed asking district maps be redrawn

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Lawmakers within the Magnolia State are being accused of gerrymandering.

A lawsuit filed this week by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on behalf of Mississippi’s Chapter of the NAACP, challenges the state’s legislative district maps.

African People make up roughly 38-percent of the state’s inhabitants, however, in accordance with the lawsuit, the newest district maps don’t mirror that.

The lawsuit states that the African American inhabitants might help no less than 4 extra Senate districts and three extra Home districts.

The ACLU believes that is an try and deny African People political energy.

“Black voters, regardless of their numbers, and regardless of voting cohesively, have beforehand been unable to elect candidates of their alternative, largely because of the prevalence of racially polarized voting,” the lawsuit reads.

Now, Joshua Tom, authorized director for the ACLU of Mississippi, is asking for the maps to be redrawn.

“They launched the maps absolutely fashioned and rapidly voted on it, so the extent of transparency for the event and passage of those maps was little or no, if any,” mentioned Tom.

In response to the lawsuit, present districts within the Home and Senate have been drawn to remove the energy of African American voters within the state.

Because of this, Tom believes the state doesn’t have a authorities that pretty and precisely displays Mississippi.

“When you’ve got a bunch of Black residents in Mississippi who’re sufficiently giant to characterize their neighborhood of alternative, one approach to forestall that’s to interrupt that group of individuals into two or extra districts,” mentioned Tom. “So, as a substitute of representing, say, 50 or 51-percent of the inhabitants in a sure district, they solely characterize 20-percent or 30-percent.”

One of many map drawings being referred to as into query is the South-Central Senate District. It comprises six Senate districts; two of them being majority-Black districts.

The lawsuit states that the maps cut up a majority-Black district in Copiah County, and packs sizable African American populations in Claiborne, Jefferson, and Franklin Counties all into one, making up over 61-percent of the district.

Tom mentioned a further majority-Black district might have been drawn anchored in Copiah, Simpson, and Jefferson Davis Counties.

“Say you had a focus of Black voters in a part of the state that was ample to elect two representatives. however as a substitute of drawing it in order that group might elect two representatives, you place all of these individuals in a single district, so they’re solely capable of elect one consultant,” mentioned Tom.

Now that the lawsuit has been filed, Tom mentioned he’s optimistic the district maps will get redrawn to pretty and precisely mirror the state.

“You possibly can have extra candidates of alternative of Black voters within the State Home and the State Senate, and likewise presumably on the statewide stage, in the event you drew truthful strains.”

The maps which might be being challenged are the identical maps that might be used within the 2023 election. Tom mentioned the maps wouldn’t be redrawn except the courts making a ruling within the case.

Governor Tate Reeves is likely one of the defendants listed within the lawsuit.

We reached out to his workplace for a remark, we are nonetheless ready to listen to again.

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