By: Sen. Larry Walker (R – Perry)
On Wednesday, November 3, 2021, the Georgia General Assembly convened for a special legislative session, which adjourned Sine Die on November 22. This special session was called for under a proclamation set forth by the Governor for the purposes of redrawing the district boundaries for state Senate, state House and for Georgia’s representatives in Congress, based on new population changes recognized in the 2020 U.S. Census. We also took up a few other important items, including revising the sales and use tax on gasoline and considered a number of the Governor’s proposed judicial appointments.
Following the once a decade United States Census last year, several adjustments needed to be made for Georgia’s electoral maps as necessary based on population requirements. Under the current state Senate maps, each district contains roughly 180,000 citizens. Based on Georgia’s population growth, these districts will now need to house approximately 191,000 citizens. The state House district sizes will likewise increase by around 5,700 to nearly 59,500. While Georgia did experience a significant increase in population, our total number of congressional seats will remain the same at fourteen, with the ideal population size in each district being around 765,000.
For Senate District 20, which I represent, a few changes have been made in the proposed Senate map. Due to population changes throughout our area, District 20 needed to increase in size to accommodate these changes. Under the proposed map, District 20 will expand to include all of Dooly County, Wilcox County, Dodge County, and Treutlen County. The northern District 20 boundary in Houston County would move south of the current Watson Boulevard line, with Feagin Mill Road and Sandy Run Creek serving as roughly the new northern boundary, and all of Houston County south of that approximate line remaining in Senate District 20. Most territory north of that line will now be represented by Senate District 18 or Senate District 26. As far as the new congressional districts are concerned, most citizens in our area will not see a change. However, I encourage everyone to take a look at the new proposed maps and familiarize yourselves with any changes in your local or state representation. The proposed maps are available on the General Assembly website here: https://www.legis.ga.gov/joint-office/reapportionment.
It is important to note that work on the Senate map, and all new maps for that matter, did not begin on the first day of our session. Over the summer, members of both the Senate and House Redistricting Committees held hearings all over the state to gather input on what both committees should consider as they proceeded through the redistricting process. The General Assembly also unveiled an online portal where citizens could submit written testimony, which was also taken into consideration by the committee. These methods of data gathering were instrumental in designing maps that not only followed our constitutional requirements, but also made sure that items of special importance to Georgia’s communities were taken into account.
With our special session now concluded, the proposed maps have now been sent to Governor Kemp for consideration. If signed, these maps would be in affect beginning the next election cycle. I will be sure to keep you updated as these maps continue to advance through the legislative process. Our 2022 regular session is now just around the corner, but if you have any questions about the proposed maps or any other legislation, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office.
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Sen. Larry Walker serves as the Majority Caucus Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee. He represents the 20th Senate District, which includes Bleckley, Houston, Laurens and Pulaski counties. He may be reached by phone at 404.656.0095 or by email at larry.walker@senate.ga.gov.