State lawmakers have officially introduced new proposed congressional and legislative maps as part of the redistricting process.
Republican lawmakers introduced the maps in committee meetings yesterday. They're in charge of the redistricting process, which takes place every decade after U.S. Census data confirms population changes. The proposed congressional map could help Republicans win up to four additional seats in the U-S House. Democrats have accused Republicans of consolidating African-American voters into more districts in order to minimize the minority vote. The Congressional map also pits Democratic incumbents against each other in two separate districts. That includes the Fourth District, which Democratic Representative Joe Hackney said yesterday has been redrawn to resemble Italy. But Republicans say they believe the maps comply with state and federal law. Lawmakers are expected to vote on the proposed maps next week.