OPINION: Redistricting on the table?

By Senator David Blount

JA Guest Writer

Every ten years following the Census all political districts are redrawn.  This is to accommodate population shifts so that each district – whether it be Congress, the Legislature, County Supervisor, or City Council/Board of Aldermen – has roughly the same number of people.

For sixty years, the redistricting process has been governed by the Voting Rights Act.  Passed by Congress and signed into law by the President in 1965, the law is one of the great political accomplishments in our nation’s history.  In Mississippi, the result was the end of the Jim Crow political system.  Now all citizens have the opportunity to vote and to serve in elected office.

The US Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act when it ruled on the Louisiana v. Callais case in April.  Under the ruling, there is no longer any protection for minority voters and the candidates of their choice.  That ruling, combined with the President’s desire for an unprecedented redrawing of lines in the middle of a Census cycle, has brought back the issue of redistricting under new law.

State political leaders have said they are interested in redrawing all Mississippi political districts. This year it may be the Legislature. Next year, it could be Congress or state Supreme Court. I strongly encourage all Mississippians to be involved in this process.

Public hearings for legislative redistricting are underway. The hearing in Jackson will be held at the Capitol on October 1st at 6:00 pm. It is open to the public. You can also email comments to the Joint Redistricting Committee at Ted.Booth@peer.ms.gov.

I am opposed to unnecessary redistricting done in the middle of a Census cycle for partisan reasons. I am opposed to efforts by some to weaken minority representation in the Legislature. I am opposed to efforts by the President to question the legitimacy of our elections, throw out the Voting Rights Act, and seek chaos at every opportunity for his short-term personal political goals.

Our government is stronger when all Mississippians have a voice and have confidence in the basic fairness of our system. The Voting Rights Act has been good for America and good for Mississippi. What happens now will show whether we still believe in those goals.

Thank you again for the opportunity to serve you. I am running for re-election next year and, as always, am happy to meet with your neighborhood, church, or civic group. You can contact me by email (dblount@senate.ms.gov) or by calling my office at the Capitol (601-359-2220). I am also on Facebook and Twitter (@sendavidblount).