By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Legislators finish redistricting
Special session adjourns Wednesday
congprop2
The approved congressional district map keeps Long, Liberty and McIntosh counties all in District 1, currently served by U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Savannah - photo by General Assembly document

ATLANTA (AP) — In three weeks, the Georgia Legislature has sailed through a special session focused primarily on the once-a-decade process of approving the state's new legislative and congressional boundaries.

The Legislature adjourned Wednesday after the Senate approved the proposed congressional map, which the House endorsed last week. Gov. Nathan Deal has already signed off on the legislative maps. All three plans must be submitted to the Department of Justice or federal court for approval under the Voting Rights Act because of past civil rights problems in Georgia and several other Southern states.

The Senate approved the congressional plan by a 34-21 vote, split along partisan lines with two Republicans voting against the map.

This is the first year the partisan process has been under GOP control. Georgia's growing population gained the state an additional congressional seat, drawn in the northeast part of the state to favor a Republican candidate.

Republicans have said all three plans will pass muster with the federal government, saying that both the congressional and legislative plans added districts with a majority of black voters.

"We have adhered to the Voting Rights Act in putting together this plan," Senate redistricting Chairman Mitch Seabaugh, R-Sharpsburg, told his colleagues before the vote. "We have not retrogressed with this plan."

Throughout the process, Democrats have vowed a legal challenge to the maps, saying they dilute minority voting strength and accusing their colleagues of political gerrymandering. Sen. Jason Carter, D-Decatur, told senators that Republicans have distorted the Voting Rights Act for political gain.

"The majority party has used it as an excuse to destroy multiracial coalitions at every opportunity," Carter said. "If the majority party doesn't like the partisan results that come from protecting multiracial coalitions, the answer is not to destroy the Voting Rights Act. The answer is to build some multiracial coalitions of your own."

Deal, state Attorney General Sam Olens and legislative leaders are set to meet Thursday to discuss how to proceed with the maps. They can either be sent to the Department of Justice or the federal courts for approval under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

The maps will not take effect until they are approved. At that point, groups that oppose them for other reasons — including Democratic lawmakers — could file legal challenges.

House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams signaled that Democrats would oppose the maps in court. Carter, an attorney who has litigated voting rights issues, said Georgia is a different state today than two or three decades ago, when it may have been necessary to put a large number of black voters into a district to help them elect their candidate of choice.

"Today, maximizing the number of majority-minority districts has started to be about isolating the black community from its coalition partners," Abrams said.

The special session, which focused on redistricting, began Aug. 15. Lawmakers also voted to freeze the gas tax, but ducked a vote to move the public vote on a transportation tax referendum from the July primary to the November general election ballot.

 

congprop2
Sign up for our E-Newsletters
Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program announces grant
Funds earmarked for Share the Road initiatives
Placeholder Image

Grant funding totaling $93,458 has been awarded to the Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program (GMSP) by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. The approved funding will be used to increase motorcycle safety awareness and outreach by encouraging all motorists and motorcyclists to Share the Road.

“The need for motorcycle safety programs is greater than ever, and this support from GOHS enables motorcycle safety programs and impaired riding initiatives to reach riders and non-riders alike” said Commissioner Spencer R. Moore. “Thank you GOHS for helping (the Department of Driver Services) and GMSP educate and encourage all Georgia drivers to ‘Share the Road.’”

The grant allows DDS to further develop the Motorcycle Safety Outreach Program by continuing to fund a position to promote state and national safety initiatives. The GMSP outreach coordinator researches, coordinates and helps maintain an adequate presence at industry events, local schools and colleges, regional meetings and festivals to increase awareness of motorcycles on the roadways and provide the most current information on motorcycle safety initiatives.

Visitors to a GMSP event display are also encouraged to sign up for regular newsletters which provide additional safety information, as well as review the motorcycle safety message on other social media platforms.

GMSP regulates motorcycle training for new riders, as well as seasoned riders, who want to learn how to ride a motorcycle legally and safely. The program is based on a continuum of learning and therefore offers three entry points to rider education.

Students participating in the Basic Riders Course do not need specialized motorcycle equipment, as the GMSP provides both a motorcycle and a helmet to class participants. Upon successful completion of the course, participants receive a 90-day license waiver card that exempts them from both the written and on-cycle skills tests needed to obtain a Class M license in the state of Georgia.

Please visit the DDS website at www.dds.georgia.gov for many online services including the convenience of enrolling in a GMSP training class and accessing many licensing services.

Latest Obituaries