BY MICHELLE KEY
MICHELLE@
OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
OPELIKA —
Gov. Kay Ivey has signed Senate Bill 5, the redistricting map, according to a statement sent out by her office on July 21. Ivey also issued the following statement:
“Following the U.S. Supreme Court order, I called the Alabama Legislature into a special session to readdress our congressional map. The Legislature knows our state, our people and our districts better than the federal courts or activist groups, and I am pleased that they answered the call, remained focused and produced new districts ahead of the court deadline.”
THE ALABAMA HOUSE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS STATEMENT ON THE 2023 SPECIAL LEGISLATIVESESSION ON REAPPORTIONMENT
The Alabama House Democratic Caucus also issued a statement via a press release, also received on July 21.
“Once again, the Republican majority in Alabama is putting political ambition ahead of what is right and just. And again, unfortunately, partisan politics is coming before Democratic rights, despite a decision upheld by the highest court in the land.
The court ruled that our Black population is large enough and geographically compact enough to create a second district. And yet, the majority pushed through a map that blatantly fails to meet that standard.
Remember, we were handed a common-sense solution. The House Democratic Caucus endorsed a map, supported by the plaintiffs, that satisfies that court’s ruling. That majority has repeatedly ignored that option in an attempt to sidestep their duty to draw maps that represent all Alabama voters fairly and equitably.
Alabama has a long and tragic history of trampling on the voting rights of people of color. Sadly, that tradition is alive and well today.
We hope and expect that the federal district court will reject this map in favor of one that satisfies the Voter Rights Act and upholds the voting rights of Black voters and all voters in Alabama.”