Georgia Senate passes new district map

<p>The Georgia Senate approved new district maps Friday in a sharply partisan 32-23 vote on the plan to redraw the states political boundaries in response to a court order.</p><p>The new maps more evenly distribute voters across the 56 Senate districts, at the expense of rural and suburban Democrats.</p><p>Republicans, who now control the Senate, insisted the district maps adopted three years ago were unconstitutional because they were crafted to help preserve Democratic incumbents.</p><p>This is a fair map for Georgia, said Sen. Tom Price, R-Roswell. Itll result in a much fairer process.</p><p>Democrats from rural areas fought hard to keep the new map from passing. They warned that metro Atlanta will take too much control from south Georgia.</p><p>Rural Georgia takes it on the chin many, many times up here, said Sen. Michael Meyer Von Bremen, D-Albany.</p><p>The GOP map was ultimately approved, but its far from being over. The Democrat-controlled House must still sign off on it, and then federal judges have to agree.</p><p>Last week, three judges of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Georgias redistricting plans for the state House and Senate, saying Democrats who drew them didnt try to make the populations of districts equal.</p><p>The judges gave the Legislature until March 1 to draw its own maps.</p><p>The Republican map would force a pair of incumbent Democrats _ Sen. David Adelman and Sen. Steve Henson, both of DeKalb County _ to run against each other if they seek re-election.</p><p>It would hand other incumbent Democrats far more Republican-leaning turf to defend, particularly in the states rural areas.</p><p>Democrats also complained that the map intentionally draws several Democratic candidates out of the districts they intended to run in.</p><p>Former Senate Majority Leader Charles Walker, of Augusta, had announced plans to challenge Sen. Randy Hall, a Republican, to regain his seat. But the map includes a sliver that juts into Augusta, placing Walkers precinct in a neighboring district.</p><p>Former Georgia Emergency Management Agency director Gary McConnell planned to run as a Democrat against Sen. Preston Smith, R-Rome.</p><p>But McConnell was drawn into another district while much of Chattooga County _ where McConnell was once sheriff _ remained in Smiths.</p><p>Theyre just self-serving political maps, said Adelman, who voted against the plan. Only two Democrats voted yes.</p><p>The House hasnt voted yet on its redrawn map. Democrats who control that chamber are expected to preserve their majority. That map, in turn, will have to be signed off on by the Senate.</p><p>If the chambers agree, Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue would have to sign the new maps and submit them to federal authorities for final approval.</p><p>Senators urged the House to get going on its redistricting debate, hinting that theyd agree to House maps even if they didnt like them.</p><p>I think we could swallow hard and pass their maps, said Sen. Eric Johnson, R-Savannah. Well respect their maps if they respect ours.</p><p>__</p><p>Associated Press writer Doug Gross contributed to this report.</p>

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