The plan was passed out of both chambers’ Rules committees on Wednesday. Qualifying for 2022 midterms is already underway.
The Mississippi House Rules Committee unanimously passed the Congressional Redistricting plan put forward by the Joint Legislative Redistricting Committee out of committee today. The plan is to have the full House consider HB 384 on Thursday.
Qualifying for the 2022 midterms is already underway, making this a priority for lawmakers as potential candidates can know for certain what districts they are in and what territory they will be asked to cover during the campaigns and if elected.
Called the “Magnolia 1” map, the plan was presented in December by Speaker Pro Tem Jason White in a JLRC hearing. Rep. White said the intent was to avoid the courts having to draw districts for the state this go around.
“There was a great attempt by this Committee to not have to rely on the courts this time to draw the plan. We wanted to handle Mississippi’s business by elected Mississippi officials. And so with that in mind, we leaned greatly on the current federal plan that is in place,” White told Y’all Politics in December.
Congressional District 2 lost some 65,000 persons since the last Census. White explained at the time that there were some slight changes in Hinds County, but they had to find people that would equalize the other congressional districts. He stated that with the changes in Hinds County and Adams, Wilkinson, Franklin, and Amite Counties shifting to District 2, it would level District 2 with Districts 1,3, and 4.
District 4 would lose Marion County and four precincts in Jones County, as well as no longer take in portions of Clarke County. Those areas would move to District 3.
On Tuesday during a press briefing, Lieutenant Governor Hosemann told the media that the Congressional Redistricting bill was the first piece of legislation assigned out in the Senate. Hosemann said that the bill has been referred to Senator Dean Kirby’s Rules Committee.
The Senate considered their version of the plan – SB 2001 – on Wednesday. It passed out of committee as well. There has been no word yet as to when the Senate will consider the bill.
Lt. Governor Hosemann praised the work of the JLRC in December, especially noting the transparency and accessibility of the process.
“Our Standing Joint Congressional Redistricting Committee, under the Senate leadership of Pro-Tempore Dean Kirby, held nine hearings in 2021 in all regions of the State to hear from citizens about the map,” the Lt. Governor said following the release of the proposed Congressional Redistricting plan. “For the first time, all hearings were webcasted and archived in the interest of accessibility and transparency. We are grateful for the Committee’s work and look forward to seeing their progress on the legislative lines in 2022.”
You can view the full Congressional Redistricting bill in the Senate below, or click here to read the House version.
S.B. 2001 Mississippi congressional districts; reapportion. by yallpolitics on Scribd
Anne Summerhays
