Georgia Republicans Pass New House Map That Keeps GOP Advantage Amid Fight Over Minority Representation

Republican lawmakers in Georgia passed a new U.S. House map for the state that largely preserves their electoral advantage after a federal judge tossed out the last electoral map in October. The Georgia House of Representatives voted 98-71 during a special session on Thursday, granting final passage of a redistricting proposal that gives Republicans an edge in nine of Georgia’s 14 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The vote sends the map to Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk. The redistricting session came about after U.S. District Judge Steve Jones ruled that the prior Congressional map violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which states “No voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure shall be imposed or applied by any State or political subdivision to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.”...