ATLANTA – State Representative Pat Gardner (D-Atlanta) today commented on House Resolution 962 and House Resolution 963, legislation she recently pre-filed for the upcoming 2016 legislative session. Both resolutions address redistricting practices in Georgia through constitutional amendments.
“Redistricting is a complex process, and in order to reach an outcome that is fair to all, several factors need to be taken into account,” said Rep. Gardner. “The process should: be reflective of the one person one vote requirement; allow for reasonably compact districts that are centered on communities of interest and do not split them apart; have respect for minorities; and produce results that fairly reflect the partisan balance in our state rather than overriding it. It is time to give the citizens the ability to choose their representatives instead of the representatives choosing their voters.”
HR 962 would create a constitutional amendment requiring an independent, nonpartisan Citizens’ Redistricting Commission to carry-out congressional or legislative reapportionment instead of the General Assembly. Under HR 962, the commission would consist of 14 appointed members and is charged with proposing congressional, House of Representatives and Senate legislative districts for approval or rejection by the General Assembly.
HR 963 proposes a constitutional amendment that would require the General Assembly to convene for a special reapportionment session in the second year following each federal decennial census. The special session would last up to 30 days, during which no other legislative business would be conducted, and it would be mandatory for the General Assembly to pass a reapportionment law during this time.
HR 962 and HR 963 will be formally introduced during the 2016 legislative session of the Georgia General Assembly.
Rep. Gardner, along with Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur), the League of Women Voters of Georgia, the American Civil Liberties Union and Common Cause Georgia, will hold a press conference on Tuesday, January 5, 2016 to discuss HR 962 and HR 963 in addition to pending legislation regarding reapportionment. The press conference will begin at 2 p.m. at Liberty Plaza in Atlanta.
For more information on HR 962, please click here.
For more information on HR 963, please click here.
Representative Pat Gardner represents the citizens of District 57, which includes portions of the City of Atlanta. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 2000, and currently serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and the Ethics, Higher Education, Natural Resources & Environment, and Transportation Committees.
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