Lee Signs Tennessee Redistricting Maps Into Law
Image Credit: capitol.tn.gov
The Center Square [By Jon Styf] –
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has signed into law three redistricting maps, according to the state’s legislative website.
The state Senate, state House and congressional maps were sent to the governor Jan. 27 and signed Sunday. The maps will go into effect for the fall elections but also are subject to the legal challenges that have accompanied past maps.
States are required to produce new maps every 10 years based on population changes in the U.S. census.
Sen. Mike Bell, R-Riceville, said the last four Democrat-drawn maps were thrown out by the court, and the one set of maps drawn by Republicans, approved in 2012, were not.
“I am confident that this map will survive court challenges,” Bell said.
The most controversial of the maps during the redistricting process was the congressional map, which divided Davidson County and Nashville into three districts.
U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, announced he would not run for reelection after the congressional map was approved by the Legislature.
“No one tried harder to keep our city whole,” Cooper said in a statement. “I explored every possible way, including lawsuits, to stop gerrymandering and to win one of the three new congressional districts that now divide Nashville. There’s no way, at least for me in this election cycle, but there may be a path for other worthy candidates.”
The state House map and Senate map also were signed by Lee.
About the Author: Jon Styf, The Center Square Staff Reporter – Jon Styf is an award-winning editor and reporter who has worked in Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin, Florida and Michigan in local newsrooms over the past 20 years, working for Shaw Media, Hearst and several other companies. Follow Jon on Twitter @JonStyf.
