Georgia Lawmakers Consider Proposed State Senate Redistricting Map
Georgia lawmakers have released a draft of the proposed State Senate redistricting map and it looks like Franklin, Hart, and Stephens counties will continue to be in District 50.
However, the District, under the new draft, has gotten bigger.
In the old map, Habersham County was divided with about 2/3’s going to State Senate District 29.
Under the new map, all of Habersham will be in District 50, along with all of Banks County and the top part of Jackson County.
So under the new map, District 50 will include all of Towns, Rabun, Habersham, Stephens, Franklin, Banks, and part of White and Jackson, and Hall counties.
Hart County will remain in the 24th District.
There was some talk that District 49 just to the south, which is State Sen. Frank Ginn’s district, would expand into Hart and Franklin Counties.
However, under the new map, District 49 will move further south and will consist of all of Madison County, most of Jackson County, and part of Clarke and Barrow counties.
As for how redistricting will affect the State House Districts, that remains to be seen.
In September, State Representative Alan Powell said he expects to keep at least Franklin and Hart counties in his District 32 after redistricting.
“Franklin and Hart will stay together, I’m pretty sure of that,” he said. “…At this point, I do believe that Jackson County is going to have to lose some votes out of Tommy Benton’s district. That would give Chris Erwin, who’s next to me, a place to go; which means that my numbers should stay Hart, Franklin, that part of Madison I have. I might shift more into Madison or I may shift over into Jackson County some. I feel confident but I can’t say very much because when you think something is going to happen, that’s when it doesn’t.”
Lawmakers are expected to vote on the proposed State Senate redistricting map soon, possibly even today.
A special legislative session called by Governor Kemp to approve the new redistricting maps began Wednesday.