Georgia legislature passes senate map to secure another decade of GOP control

Atlanta, Georgia - The Georgia state legislature voted to approve new state senate maps, paving the way for a decade of GOP control.

Black Voters Matter demonstrators rally outside Atlanta City Hall to protest voter suppression, which disparately targets racial minorities.
Black Voters Matter demonstrators rally outside Atlanta City Hall to protest voter suppression, which disparately targets racial minorities.  © IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

Georgia was one of the biggest swing states in 2020 and is expected to play a key role in the 2022 midterms.

Biden narrowly won the state, helping to secure his path to the White House. The Georgia Senate runoff elections, a double Democratic victory, also allowed the party take control of Congress' upper chamber.

But the Republican-led legislature is working to ensure the blue victories of 2020 don't happen again – not by reaching out and building relationships with voters, but rather by passing a restrictive elections law that will disparately impact Black and brown communities.

Marjorie Taylor Greene claims Biden is trying to start World War III with Ukraine missile strikes
Marjorie Taylor Greene Marjorie Taylor Greene claims Biden is trying to start World War III with Ukraine missile strikes

Now those same lawmakers are ramping up their efforts to retain control of the legislature through redistricting, passing new state senate maps that will give 59% of seats to Republicans. Biden won the state with 49.5% of the vote.

Though much of the state's population growth over the last decade has come from Georgians of color, no new seats were created that would represent a majority of non-white voters. There's no other way to spin this: it's a strategy to retain political power at the cost of minority voters.

If Republican Governor Brian Kemp signs the new maps into law, which he is all but certain to do, they will be in place for the next 10 years.

State House maps that heavily favor Republicans already passed, with congressional maps next on the GOP to-do list.

Though the congressional map is expected to receive a vote by the end of the week, fair maps advocates have pointed out that the map has not yet been made available to the public, nor have any further public hearings been scheduled.

Cover photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

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