Sunday, July 28, 2024

Bill Crawford: Overall Redistricting Results Positive for Mississippi

The great untold story from the legislative redistricting lawsuit in federal court is how positive the outcome was for the State of Mississippi.

In 2022, the Legislature redistricted itself based on the 2020 Census. In December 2022, the NAACP and a host of individuals filed suit in federal court claiming the new district maps illegally diluted Black votes and contained unconstitutional racial gerrymanders.

The suit against the State Board of Election Commissioners (governor, attorney general, and secretary of state) directly challenged 12 House and Senate districts, alleging five districts violated the 14th Amendment (racial gerrymandering) and seven districts violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (voter dilution).

A special three judge panel appointed by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals heard the case and issued a captivating 119-page decision. (https://cases.justia.com/federal/district-courts/mississippi/mssdce/3:2022cv00734/117094/224/0.pdf?ts=1719999428)

Notably, the panel rejected the state’s contention that a recent 8th Circuit decision prohibited private parties from enforcing Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act but agreed that protecting incumbent-constituent relationships and maintaining hard-earned legislative expertise are valid state interests.

Additionally, the panel’s findings noted: 1) From 2000 to 2020, Black population grew 120,399 while white population declined 7,636 yet the 2022 plan contained the same number of majority-minority districts as the previous plans; 2) DeSoto County contains the fastest growing Black population in Mississippi; 3) the panel was persuaded by uncontradicted witness testimony “that their elected officials ignore the black community;” and 4) the state failed to show that “partisan affiliation, not race, best explains the divergent voting patterns among minority and white citizens.”

Yet, the panel rejected the 14th amendment racial gerrymandering claim and rejected four of the seven Section 2 claims.

After ruling that two new Black-majority Senate districts must be adopted in the areas of DeSoto County and Hattiesburg and one new Black-majority House district in the area of Chickasaw and Monroe Counties, the panel approved the state’s request to give the Legislature an opportunity to redraw lines and set special election dates during its 2025 session.

The panel also said the state may limit the ripple effect from creating the new districts “as much as reasonably possible” and likewise protect incumbents. While only three new Black-majority districts must be created, shifting population into them can cascade changes across other districts. The panel ruled that special elections must be held in all districts that incur changes.

All in all, as one interested attorney said, these results were very positive for Mississippi. No surprise, though, some, including GOP leaders, want the state to appeal.

“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” – Ecclesiastes 6:9.

Crawford is a syndicated columnist from Jackson.

17 comments:

Don Drane said...

The names Bennie Thompson and Hayes Dent come immediately to mind.

One had a district redrawn that forever ensures his election based on race.

The other had a district redrawn that ensured his defeat based on race.

And in the interest of kowtowing, our super majority republican legislature is OK with both.

Anonymous said...

That isn't what Ecclesiastes 6:9 says.

Ecclesiastes 6:9: Better what the eye can see than the wandering of desire. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

Has Crawford gone off of the deep end?

Anonymous said...

Senator Kirksey, a veteran and military map maker, retired to Jackson, Mississippi, where he implemented significant changes. His contributions were greatly valued, and the area would benefit from having more individuals like him. For now, this is good progress.

Anonymous said...

Interestingly, Crawford doesn’t explain why this result is so great for the State. I wonder what he meant.

Anonymous said...

What is the problem with the color of voters? Why should that matter? We are all supposed to be citizens of the U.S. to vote. We are all supposed to be equal. This sound racist to me. If blacks need a place where only blacks can vote what about all of the other people? How about Native Americans, Japanese, Chinese, Irish, and all others? Why can't they all have a place where they are the only people who can vote? That is about the most racist thing I have ever heard about.

Anonymous said...

8:49 a.m. See The Living Bible.

Anonymous said...

Neighbor, be it far from me to tell someone else what they should do, but I strongly suggest you find another translation you feel comfortable with. There's no mention of birds in the Hebrew text, and unless I'm mistaken, that is the only translation that uses that wording.

ilbh said...

For 1:30PM: Remember the book "Animal Farm" All animals are equal. Some are more equal than others.

Anonymous said...

Attn 9:34 AM. I never realized that Kirksey was a distinguished “Map Maker”. This ought to get him a statue somewhere in the Capitol city!!! As all readers know, you can never have to many “map makers”.

Anonymous said...

@July 28, 2024 at 1:30 PM, the color of voters, that doesn’t matter until it matters as decided by your betters, at which point you, sir, have become racist for having the temerity to even compose such a question. Will you never learn?

Anonymous said...

What would be good news for our state is to cut the number of Representatives and Senators in half. 61 and 26 are plenty for a state of 3 million. Additionally, make the session no more than 60 days. That would actually encourage people to get moving on real legislation and stop gladhanding and back slapping on how good it is to be king over a small number of constituents.

Anonymous said...

@1:30 It is called a vestige of the past. Our state's racial history haunts us. And Mississippi is a house of horrors.

Anonymous said...

Why do you publish this hack?

Anonymous said...

10:46 am, vestige of the past? Doesn't that make them the same as each other? No one learned a damn thing. It is more like revenge. It is like one side saying you did me wrong and it isn't right so we will do the same thing to you and it will be right.

Anonymous said...

8:49 understanding, over memorizing a verse, is most important. Same thing!

Anonymous said...

Says one of those chirpers, who, with regularity, claims racism in everything and everybody with whom he finds disagreement.

Anonymous said...

Only if you find a perverse sense of pleasure in reliving it, daily, and refusing to move beyond it.

Race-baiters who poison the minds of children will keep the haunting history alive will see that it never ends.


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If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

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