NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF)- Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has announced a special session for the purpose of redrawing Congressional Districts.
This is in the wake of the Supreme Court decision earlier this week that ruled various provisions of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional.
They ruled that there was no justification for a minority-majority district to be drawn in the case of Louisiana’s map.
Now, numerous Tennessee Republicans say they want to redraw the map to split up the 9th Congressional District that is centered on Memphis, which is the only Democratic district in the state.
Governor Lee in a statement this evening says quote, “We owe it to Tennesseans to ensure our congressional districts accurately reflect the will of Tennessee voters. After consultation with the Lt. Governor, Speaker of the House, Attorney General, and Secretary of State, I believe the General Assembly has a responsibility to review the map and ensure it remains fair, legal, and defensible.”
We also heard from multiple Republican state representatives who say they are strongly in support of this move, believing that this is the right move to help their party’s chances in maintaining a majority this November.
However, we also are hearing from Democrats who say they are outraged at this decision.
Rep. Yusuf Hakeem in a statement said, “This week, Tennessee Republicans once again showed just how far they are willing to go in their relentless power grab – this time in plain sight. If you think their efforts to dilute and silence Black voices and votes will stop in Memphis, you are mistaken. We have seen these tactics before in Nashville. And nearly 40 years ago, we fought back against similar efforts in Chattanooga and won.”
The Special Session will begin next Tuesday, May 5.
