Jackson Free Press

Redistricting in Mississippi as a result of the 2010 Census will likely target Republican and conservative Democratic seats in the state House of Representatives, legislators say.

Some conservative lawmakers are grumbling that House leaders are merging their districts with neighboring districts. Rep. Tommy Reynolds, D-Charleston (chairman of the House Apportionment and Elections Committee, the Congressional Redistricting Committee and the Legislative Reapportionment Committee) had not publicly released the new House redistricting map by 11 a.m. today.

"They've merged my district with (Louisville Republican) Rep. Russ Nowell's district and (put his constituents) in my district," said Rep. Mary Ann Stevens, D-West, who said Reynolds has not yet allowed her to see the new district map. "They collapsed his district and put him (in my district). I don't know if they're trying to get rid of me, or him, or both of us."

Stevens said she was only aware of the merger of her district through Nowell. House leaders showed the Republican his new district and he reported its shape to Stevens, she said.

Population changes recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau's 2010 nationwide head-count forces lawmakers to expand or shrink some state House and Senate districts to insure that no district has greater influence than any other district in the state. The population deviation can be no more than 10 percent between districts. After population shifts, some districts must expand or surrender territory to maintain an even population distribution for elections.

Stevens said there is likely a reason Reynolds has not permitted her to see the new district map before today. She is one of the conservative Democrats who joined House Republicans to nearly derail House Speaker McCoy's 2008 re-election bid for speaker by voting for conservative Democrat Jeff Smith of Columbus. Stevens said it is "possible" that McCoy and House leaders are ceding her territory to a Republican knowing that the new, more conservative district will likely elect a Republican rather than a conservative-voting Democrat.

"It's not normal to see (the map) this late," Stevens said, adding that House leaders permitted her to negotiate the shape of her district during the last redistricting event 10 years ago. "... I want input on what they're planning for my district, because I'm very concerned about the county I represent and the impact redistricting will have on it."

Rep. Diane Peranich, D-Pass Christian, who voted in favor of McCoy in 2008, said House leaders had already permitted her to see her district, and that she was satisfied with its shape.

Reynolds did not return calls for this story.

Republican districts could also be on the chopping block. Rep. Tad Campbell, R-Meridian, told the Jackson Free Press this morning that he did not plan to seek re-election, and said he had heard House leaders were "collapsing" his district. Campbell added that Reynolds and McCoy had not allowed him to see his new district either.

Rep. Greg Snowden, R-Meridian, who also did not vote for McCoy but plans to run for re-election, said House leaders had shown him the shape of his district, and that he was happy with the look of it. He said the process, to him, appeared to be "more open" than the House redistricting process of a decade ago.

Previous Comments

ID

162431

Comment

Tom, I've personally seen and tested the software that legislators could use for this process. With enough time to learn how to operate the software, you, Tom Head, could turn Jackson into a GOP stronghold. It boils down to your skill at manipulating data.

Author

jbreland

Date

2011-03-06T16:33:21-06:00