Alabama's new congressional redistricting map selected

NEWS AT 630 STARTS NOW. TAKE A LOOK AT THE NEW CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS IN ALABAMA. A THREE JUDGE PANEL MAKING ITS DECISION KNOWN THIS MORNING. AND THANKS FOR JOINING US AND STAYING WITH US. I’M GUY RAWLINGS. I’M SHERI FALK THE PANEL AND A SPECIAL MASTER DID WHAT THE ALABAMA LEGISLATURE REFUSED TO DO AT A SECOND MAJORITY BLACK DISTRICT. BY NOW, YOU KNOW THE STORY. THE STATE DREW A REDISTRICTING MAP WHICH WAS DENIED BY THE SUPREME COURT EARLIER THIS YEAR. THE JUSTICES RULED IT LIKELY VIOLATED THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT. WITH THAT RULING, THE ALABAMA LEGISLATURE RETURNED TO MONTGOMERY FOR A SPECIAL SESSION. THEY HAD ONE JOB ADD A SECOND BLACK DISTRICT WITH A WEEK TO WORK WITH LAWMAKERS, WAITED UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE AND FAILED TO ADD ANOTHER MAJORITY MINORITY DISTRICT. SO HERE’S THE MAP THAT ALABAMA LAWMAKERS PASSED OVER THE SUMMER. IT WAS AGAIN CHALLENGED, MAKING ITS WAY BACK TO THE SUPREME COURT AGAIN. JUSTICES TURNED AWAY THE STATE AND THAT BROUGHT IN A SPECIAL MASTER WHO DREW UP THREE MAPS. THEY WERE SUBMITTED LAST WEEK. TODAY, A THREE JUDGE PANEL IS SELECTED. THIS ONE, HERE’S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE COMPARED TO THE MAP PASSED BY THE LEGISLATURE IN THE SUMMER. THE BIGGEST CHANGE IS DOWN SOUTH NEAR MOBILE. AL THIS PLAN ALSO KEEPS MOST OF BIRMINGHAM IN THE SAME VOTING DISTRICT. SO WHY THIS PROPOSAL ALL OVER THE OTHER TWO? WELL, DOCUMENTS SHOW THE JUDGE’S PICK THIS PLAN BECAUSE IT RESPECTS MUNICIPAL BOUNDARIES AND THE COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST. SPECIFICALLY, IT KEEPS THE 18 BLACK BELT COUNTIES TOGETHER IDER INTO DISTRICTS. NOW, THE PLAN ONE ON YOUR FAR LEFT WOULD HAVE SPLIT SEVEN COUNTIES. THE JUDGES FOUND IT EXCEEDED VOTE DILUTION. SO IT WAS NOT CONSIDERED. PLAN TWO IS IN THE MIDDLE AND IT SPLITS 13 VOTING DISTRICTS. HERE’S A CLOSER LOOK AT DISTRICT TWO. IT’S REPRESENTED BY BY BARRY MOORE. AGAIN, THIS IS THE BIGGEST CHANGE TO THE NEW REDISTRICTING MAP. IT STRETCHES FROM ONE SIDE OF THE STATE TO THE OTHER IN THIS DISTRICT, BLACK RESIDENTS WILL GO FROM REPRESENTING LESS THAN A THIRD OF THE VOTING AGE POPULATION TO NEARLY 50%. STATE REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS ARE WEIGHING IN TONIGHT. THE STATE GOP SAYING THE COURT CHOSE THE MAP THAT IS THE MOST DEMOCRATIC, NOT THE MAP, WITH THE HIGHEST MINORITY VOTING AGE POPULATION. THEY’RE HOPING THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL CONTINUES TO APPEAL THE PROCESS. ALABAMA DEMOCRATS LOOKING FORWARD TO A DEMOCRAT HAVING A CHANCE TO WIN A SECOND SEAT IN CONGRESS. YOU CAN READ FULL STATEMENTS FROM BOTH PARTIES AS WELL AS STATEMENTS FROM OTHER LAWMAKERS

Federal judges selected Alabama's new congressional map Thursday.The Special Master's Remedial Plan 3 was chosen. The Alabama Secretary of State is ordered to administer the next election according to the map, which is more than a year away. The judges stepped in to pick a new congressional map after ruling that one drawn by Alabama illegally diluted the voting power of Black residents, and that Republican lawmakers failed to fix the Voting Rights Act violation when they adopted new lines this summer.It sets the stage for potentially flipping one U.S. House of Representatives seat from Republican to Democratic control and for the state to have second Black Congressional representative for the first time.The three-judge panel said the state should have two districts where Black voters are the majority or close to it.The southeast Alabama district will stretch westward across the state. Black residents will go from comprising less than one-third of the district’s voting-age population to nearly 50%.The ruling filed states that "the Plaintiffs already suffered this irreparable injury once in this census cycle when they voted in 2022 under the unlawful 2021 Plan" and "will suffer an irreparable harm absent injunctive relief."To read the full ruling, click here.According to Secretary of State Wes Allen's office, the map will be posted online and each county will be responsible for implementing line changes to the district. Voters will then be able to check to see which congressional district they are assigned online once it is updated. The PlansPlan 1 would have split seven counties, and the judges found that it exceeded vote dilution, so they removed it from their consideration.Plan 2 splits 13 voting districts, and Plan 3 splits 14 districts.The 2023 Plan, in comparison, splits 38 voting districts, and the judges said is similar to Plan 2.Plan 3 "better respects municipal boundaries and the communities of interest that the Legislature identified. Both plans keep the eighteen 'core' Black Belt counties together in two districts, with eight counties placed in District 2 and ten counties placed in District 7," the filing states.The third plan also keeps most of Birmingham in the same voting district.The new map could pit two current Republican congressmen against each other in 2024, and also draw a crowded field vying for the revamped District 2. Moore’s home is now in District 1, currently represented by Republican Rep. Jerry Carl. Moore could move back to District 2 to run, or try to challenge Carl, who is running again. Moore said Thursday that he is “prayerfully�� weighing what to do.Objections"The Secretary and the Legislators object generally to all the Special Master’s Remedial Plans on the ground that the Special Master allowed race to predominate over traditional districting principles," according to the ruling.Those who objected did note that Remedial Plan 3 "is less objectionable" than Remedial Plan 1, according to the filing.There were some objections to this plan because of the split of Mobile County, which was ruled because of "vote dilution," according to the ruling.None of the objections alter the plan, the ruling states.This article contains information from The Associated Press.

Federal judges selected Alabama's new congressional map Thursday.

The Special Master's Remedial Plan 3 was chosen. The Alabama Secretary of State is ordered to administer the next election according to the map, which is more than a year away.

The judges stepped in to pick a new congressional map after ruling that one drawn by Alabama illegally diluted the voting power of Black residents, and that Republican lawmakers failed to fix the Voting Rights Act violation when they adopted new lines this summer.

It sets the stage for potentially flipping one U.S. House of Representatives seat from Republican to Democratic control and for the state to have second Black Congressional representative for the first time.

The three-judge panel said the state should have two districts where Black voters are the majority or close to it.

The southeast Alabama district will stretch westward across the state. Black residents will go from comprising less than one-third of the district’s voting-age population to nearly 50%.

The ruling filed states that "the Plaintiffs already suffered this irreparable injury once in this census cycle when they voted in 2022 under the unlawful 2021 Plan" and "will suffer an irreparable harm absent injunctive relief."

To read the full ruling, click .

According to Secretary of State Wes Allen's office, the map will be posted online and each county will be responsible for implementing line changes to the district. Voters will then be able to check to see which congressional district they are assigned once it is updated.

Hearst Owned

Remedial Plan 3

The Plans

Plan 1 would have split seven counties, and the judges found that it exceeded vote dilution, so they removed it from their consideration.

Plan 2 splits 13 voting districts, and Plan 3 splits 14 districts.

The 2023 Plan, in comparison, splits 38 voting districts, and the judges said is similar to Plan 2.

Plan 3 "better respects municipal boundaries and the communities of interest that the Legislature identified. Both plans keep the eighteen 'core' Black Belt counties together in two districts, with eight counties placed in District 2 and ten counties placed in District 7," the filing states.

The third plan also keeps most of Birmingham in the same voting district.

The new map could pit two current Republican congressmen against each other in 2024, and also draw a crowded field vying for the revamped District 2. Moore’s home is now in District 1, currently represented by Republican Rep. Jerry Carl. Moore could move back to District 2 to run, or try to challenge Carl, who is running again. Moore said Thursday that he is “prayerfully�� weighing what to do.

Objections

"The Secretary and the Legislators object generally to all the Special Master’s Remedial Plans on the ground that the Special Master allowed race to predominate over traditional districting principles," according to the ruling.

Those who objected did note that Remedial Plan 3 "is less objectionable" than Remedial Plan 1, according to the filing.

There were some objections to this plan because of the split of Mobile County, which was ruled because of "vote dilution," according to the ruling.

None of the objections alter the plan, the ruling states.

This article contains information from The Associated Press.

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