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New maps could boost Hall delegation
Proposed state legislature districts would add three lawmakers to county
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Ashley Fielding
Updated: Aug 13, 2011, 3:26 AM
Published: Aug 12, 2011, 6:51 PM

As many as nine state lawmakers could represent Hall County's interests under the Gold Dome if two proposed maps for the state's House and Senate districts are approved.

The maps were made public Friday by the legislative committees tasked with redrawing the state's political boundaries, and will be the focus of debate in a special session of the General Assembly set to begin Monday.

Currently, Hall County has four state representatives and one state senator. The proposal released today would add three representatives and a second senator.

It would make the southern tip Hall County part of two Gwinnett County House districts, one of them creating a new seat.

The eastern edge of the county would become part of a larger House district encompassing Banks and Stephens counties, currently represented by Toccoa Republican Michael Harden.

The western bulb of the county would join a district currently held by Dahlonega Republican Amos Amerson.

Along with the small portion of Hall, Amerson's new district would comprise all of Lumpkin and a large portion of Dawson County.

The new lines would also mean Tommy Benton would no longer represent anyone in Hall County.

Also under the proposal, Sen. Butch Miller, whose current district covers Hall County and reaches south into Jackson County, will lose the Jackson County portion of his district and one Hall County precinct east of Gillsville Highway and Harmony Church Road. Residents there would become part of the Senate district of Cornelia Republican Jim Butterworth.

The proposed maps come after 12 meetings held across the state by the legislature's Joint Redistricting Committee. Lawmakers spent the summer gathering public input and met with other legislators to discuss their districts.

The committee office has been a flurry of activity in the weeks leading up to redistricting. To give members privacy, the windows of the office have been blacked out and redistricting guidelines shield their research from the public record.

Legislative leaders released the proposed maps on the General Assembly website in advance of the special session set to begin Monday. The first public hearings on the maps are set for Tuesday.

Some legislators were getting their first look at the maps Friday.

Senate leaders said Friday their plan was based on input from 51 of the 55 currently-serving senators.

It splits 38 of Georgia's 159 counties and fewer than 50 precincts.

But the real showdown over redistricting could happen in the House, where 20 incumbents would have to face off to keep their seats.

It's the first time Georgia Republicans are in control of redistricting from start to finish.

Democrats vow to oppose the GOP plans, which they claim unfairly target some of their members. Four of the 10 House matchups pit white Democrats against their black colleagues.

Because Georgia is under the jurisdiction of the Voting Rights Act, the maps must be approved by either the U.S. Department of Justice or the federal courts once they are adopted by state lawmakers.

House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams warned earlier this week that Republicans were trying to purge Georgia of white Democrats, which she said was a "cynical misuse" of the Voting Rights Act.

Republican leaders said the maps comply with the landmark civil rights law designed to protect minority voting interests. They argue the process has been more open and transparent than in previous years when Democrats were in control.

Redistricting is required every 10 years to adjust to new census data.

Georgia, now the country's ninth largest state, gained more than 1 million residents and picks up a U.S. House seat this year. The congressional redistricting map has not yet been released.

The new seat is likely to be created in North Georgia in response to the region's population boom. Also bolstering the case for gains in North Georgia: The region is home to the state's three top Republicans, Gov. Nathan Deal, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and House Speaker David Ralston. South Georgia saw huge population losses, which will result in a loss of representation for the region.

Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

House districts
Seante districts
Key bills still on table as Georgia legislature session winds down
Budget, medical marijuana among major issues
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Associated Press
Updated: Mar 21, 2016, 3:16 AM
Published: Mar 21, 2016, 3:18 AM

ATLANTA — This year’s legislative session will come to an end Thursday, and the future of several key pieces of legislation remains uncertain under the Gold Dome.

Both chambers have already given the greenlight to send many hotly contested bills to the desk of Gov. Nathan Deal, including a measure allowing college students to carry concealed handguns on campus.

Looking ahead into the final two days of the session, here are some of the issues that could still see movement in the legislature:

STATE BUDGET

Lawmakers still must pass a final state budget for the financial year starting July 1.

Approving a budget is the only constitutionally required measure that must be passed before the close of the session, and negotiations are expected to include debate over a spending plan that would increase salaries for thousands of state employees and teachers and give state retirees a one-time boost.

Both chambers have voiced support for Deal’s recommendation to allocate $300 million to local school districts. These funds are intended to end furloughs and lengthen school years after cuts during the recession.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Rep. Allen Peake, a Macon Republican, said he will continue pushing for an expansion of people allowed medical marijuana in Georgia. The proposal hit a major roadblock when it recently failed to get a Senate committee hearing.

Peake’s bill would allow patients diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome, autism and post-traumatic stress disorder, among other afflictions, to possess cannabis oil.

Peake said he still hopes the bill can get a Senate floor vote.

“You never want to give up on an issue like this until midnight on the last day of the legislative session,” he said.

RAPE KIT TESTING

A bill recently stalled in the Georgia Senate would require law enforcement officers and agencies to expedite the processing of rape kits for sexual assault victims.

The bill would require law enforcement officials to retrieve the findings of a forensic medical examination no later than 96 hours of being notified.

Rep. Scott Holcomb, an Atlanta Democrat, said supporters might try to attach the bill to another piece of legislation in order to get it passed. Republican Sen. Renee Unterman of Buford opposes the bill, saying the backlog on rape kits has been taken care of.

ENGLISH AS OFFICIAL LANGUAGE

A constitutional amendment setting English as the “official” language of Georgia has failed to make it out of House committee. Sponsoring Sen. Josh McKoon said the hope was to get a floor vote in the House after receiving 39 votes in the Senate. The legislation needs two-thirds support to pass the House.

TAX CUTS

A bill to set a flat state income tax rate of 5.4 percent requires House agreement to become law. The Senate has passed the measure. Critics argue that the adjustment in tax rates would only serve to help those in higher tax brackets. The decrease would lower the state’s maximum income tax rate down from 6 percent.

Deal and his staff have remained wary of any tax cut proposal, concerned about harming the state’s bond rating and ability to borrow money. Deal also has made it a priority to build up the state’s “rainy day” fund before his final term in office ends.