The Tennessee State House approved their congressional and legislative redistricting proposals on Monday evening. The vote was 70-27, 70-26, and 70-26 on the house legislative district, senate legislative district, and congressional redistricting plans, respectively.
As has been a longstanding tradition in the Tennessee General Assembly, the House deferred to the the Senate’s plan on the new senate legislative district boundaries and the Senate is doing the same on the state house legislative district boundaries. The Senate approved the congressional and house legislative district proposals on January 20 and will vote on the house district boundaries on Wednesday, January 26, 2022.
The congressional maps are considered by many Democrats to be the most controversial, as they split Nashville amongst three congressional districts.
At their previous meeting, Metro Nashville Council voted to pass a resolution voicing their opposition to the new maps:
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. The Metropolitan County Council hereby goes on record as opposing the redistricting plan presented and adopted by the Tennessee General Assembly’s House Select Committee on Redistricting that would split Davidson County into three congressional districts.
Section 2. The Metropolitan County Council hereby goes on record urging the Tennessee General Assembly, its Committees, and the Governor to reject the redistricting plan presented and adopted by the Tennessee General Assembly’s House Select Committee on Redistricting.
Section 3. The Metropolitan County Council hereby requests that the Tennessee General Assembly respect the voters and maintain the integrity of the boundaries of Davidson County in any redistricting plan it adopts and refuse to split Davidson County into separate congressional districts.
The resolution was sent to the Tennessee General Assembly and to Governor Lee.
Tennessee Senate Minority Leader Jeff Yarbo’s office gave The Tennessee Star a statement after the proposed maps cleared the Senate on Friday, “This is what happens when you have power without any restraint. Most of the time when people bend the rules, we call it what it is: cheating. They’ve drawn maps that subvert the will of the people. We should recognize that’s what is going on.”
Prior to the vote, the Tennessee Democrat Party again reiterated their threats to sue, tweeting:
Today, the House is poised to pass maps rigged by
@TNGOP
to maintain unchecked power at the state legislature for another decade.Voting for these maps is a vote against democracy, against the principles our country was founded on.
One person one vote — We’re preparing to sue.
The Tennessee Democrat Party’s prospects in court are unclear, but a legal argument based on pure partisanship is unlikely to carry water. Vanderbilt Law School Professor Jim Blumstein told the Associated Press, “The best, and really the only real case, that they would have is that somehow there is a disadvantageous racial effect that is more than just a partisan disadvantage.”
These redistricting plans will take effect upon Governor Bill Lee’s signature.
– – –
Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Tennessee Capitol” by FaceMePLS CC BY 2.0.
