U.S. District Judge Steve Jones has approved a new congressional map redrawn by the state's GOP-led legislature in Georgia, which maintains Republicans' 9-5 edge for its congressional delegation and will be used in the 2024 election. The map creates a majority-Black congressional district in the western part of metro Atlanta and Jones rejected claims that the new maps didn’t do enough to help Black voters.
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Georgia Legislature has passed a new congressional redistricting plan, which dismantles Rep. Lucy McBath's (D-GA) seat to create a new court-ordered Black-majority district. The plan was approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature on Thursday, but has been met with criticism from McBath's campaign manager. The new map will almost certainly be challenged in court, with the outcome of the challenge uncertain.
A federal judge in Georgia has ordered the state to redraw its congressional and legislative maps, adding one majority-Black congressional district and seven majority-Black legislative districts. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones ruled that the current maps discriminated against Black voters in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, and gave the state until December 8th to take action. This is a major victory for voting rights activists, who have long argued that the state's maps were drawn in a way that diluted the voting power of Black voters.
A federal judge in Atlanta has denied White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows' request to move his Georgia election subversion case to federal court, ruling that he had not met the "quite low" threshold to do so. Judge Steve Jones found that Meadows had not met his burden of proof that the case should be moved to federal court, and the case will now proceed in Georgia state court. Meadows' lawyers have not yet indicated whether they will appeal the ruling.
On Tuesday afternoon, a large industrial fire broke out at a recycling plant in Richmond, Indiana, forcing the evacuation of approximately 2,000 people. The fire is expected to burn for days and Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones has warned of the toxic smoke it is producing. The Richmond Fire Department and Wayne County Sheriff’s Office are working together to ensure the safety of the community and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.