Two more committees took a look at Tennessee’s three new legislative maps Tuesday before approving and passing those maps on as the full Senate is prepared to address them Thursday.
Sen. Brenda Gilmore, D-Nashville, brought forward most of the questions on the state Senate, House and congressional maps during Tuesday’s Senate Judiciary Committee meeting.
“In almost every instance, the maps dilute the influence of African Americans,” Gilmore said, pointing toward the way the congressional map splits Davidson County and Nashville into three different districts.
State legislatures are tasked with creating new maps every 10 years after each U.S. census.
Sen. Mike Bell, R-Riceville, said “our memories are short” and pointed out the last four Democratic-drawn maps were thrown out by the court and the one set of maps drawn by Republicans, approved in 2012, was not.
“I am confident that this map will survive court challenges,” Bell said.
The state Senate map (Senate Bill 780), congressional map (Senate Bill 781) and state House map (Senate Bill 779) were recommended with 7-2 votes along party lines and are scheduled to be heard by the full Senate on Thursday.
The House State Government Committee also approved the identical House versions of the maps Tuesday. They were sent to the House Calendar and Rules Committee.
Rep. Bill Beck, D-Nashville, questioned why Nashville’s Black population was split amongst three different districts instead of creating an opportunity district, one that would have more than 50% of its population as minority voters.
“This plan saddens me,” Beck said. “It saddens me for the rights of people. … It saddens me for the people of Davidson County.”
Beck asked counsel Doug Himes, who advised the redistricting committees, about why so many of the minority voters in his current district were drawn into another district.
“Less concerned with you all as incumbents and more concerned about complying with the Voting Rights Act,” Himes said about the prioritization in the process. “I think both of these districts (Beck’s and the neighboring district) comply.”
