Mississippi special session to focus on Supreme Court redistricting

PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) – Mississippi lawmakers will return to the State Capitol later in May after Gov. Tate Reeves called a special session.

According to Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, the session will be limited to redistricting the state’s Supreme Court districts. He emphasized that lawmakers can only address the issues outlined by the governor in the official call.

He says after a recent Supreme Court decision, federal requirements driving previous plans are no longer in play.

Hosemann argued that redistricting decisions should remain in the hands of state leaders, taking into account factors like geography, economics and the interests of communities across Mississippi.

“We believe one man, one vote,” Hosemann said. “I mean, everybody ought to be able to vote. I’ve never liked it where the federal government told me that I had to have so many people for this or that or the other. Running our elections and redistricting ourselves is given to the legislature that’s elected by the people. And we ought not be ordered by the federal court to do something like that. That’s one of the few states’ rights we have left in this country, is that we can redistrict and run our own elections.”

The special session is scheduled for later this month.

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