Georgia Dems still working on their response to federal court plan
[Georgia] House leaders continued Wednesday to struggle with their redistricting dilemma: Should Democrats try to push through their own version of legislative maps or just accept their fate at the hands of three federal judges? ...
Legislators have one way to avoid the plan that creates four dozen open seats and lumps more than 85 incumbents into districts with their colleagues. They must unite a divided House and Senate on their own maps and win Department of Justice approval in time for election officials to design ballots and meet their own statutory deadlines.
Candidates for the 180-member House and 56-member Senate are to begin qualifying the week of April 26. Party primaries are scheduled for July 20, with the general election Nov. 2. ...
Seventeen black legislators were put into districts with caucus colleagues.
"The leadership and experience it has taken us years to acquire has been wiped away with the click of a mouse," said Sen. Ed Harbison (D-Columbus), chairman of the caucus, referring to the computer-produced plans.
Harbison said an attorney for the caucus would argue in written comments that pairing African-American lawmakers with other legislators, especially other members of the black caucus, would be a step back for minority constituencies. -- Democrats stall maps decision (Atlanta Journal Constitution)