Mississippi House approves congressional districts, sends bill to Senate

The Mississippi House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bill to redraw the state's four congressional districts, the first legislative action in the decennial redistricting process.

The vote was split 76-42 in favor of the Republicans.

The House will send the bill to the Senate, where it is expected to pass. The Senate is in recess until Monday. Gov. Tate Reeves would then sign it into or law or veto it. Reeves has previously said he approves of the new congressional maps.

The bill preserves the current power structure in Mississippi, keeping three seats for Republicans and one for lone Democrat Bennie Thompson, D-Bolton.

For the first time since the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965, Mississippi's redistricting will go on without federal oversight after a 2013 Supreme Court decision ended the requirement certain states get federal approval for redistricting changes. A federal judge drew the congressional districts in 2002 because legislators could not agree on a map, and again in 2011 because legislators felt they didn't have enough time to do it during session.

More: Voting rights groups accuse Mississippi lawmakers of breaking state law in redistricting process

The second and third congressional districts see significant changes. The 3rd District, represented by Michael Guest, R-Rankin, is ceding the entire southwest corner to Thompson's 2nd District.

Thompson needed to add about 70,000 people to his district to offset significant migration from the Mississippi Delta over the past decade. Each district is supposed to have about 740,020 residents to ensure equal representation of the state's residents, lawmakers have said.

Republican Rep. Trent Kelly has held the 1st District seat in northern Mississippi since 2015 and Republican Rep. Steven Palazzo has held the 4th District's seat in the south since 2019. Their districts remain relatively unchanged.

House Democrats opposed the bill, saying Thompson's new district is too geographically large, and will have to be expanded again in 2030 to offset the population loss in newly added Amite, Franklin, Wilkinson and Adams counties.

"You don't help the 2nd District by adding four counties that are losing population at an alarming rate," House Minority Leader Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, said in a floor speech.

Democrats offered an amendment to the bill that would have kept those four counties in the 3rd District and instead added all of Hinds County and a portion of Madison County to the 2nd District. The amendment failed 76-43 on a party-line vote.

Johnson said the amendment was primarily offered so Democrats could make a record of their position should the new maps end up in court.

Part of the requirements for congressional districts is that they are compact, Johnson said. Running the entire western half of the state, Thompson's district would encompass roughly 40% of the state's landmass, but only a fourth of the population.

Thompson has previously said he is in favor of the Democrat's alternative map, which the NAACP originally proposed.

Under the approved plan, Jackson is the only municipality in Mississippi that will be represented by two different members of Congress.

"I think it's a good thing that we have two different congressmen who represent Jackson and Madison County," House Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Jason White, R-West, said on the floor when presenting the bill.

White noted Guest represents northeast Jackson and is a member of the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. However, Johnson pointed out Guest voted against the $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure package that is sending $4.5 billion to Mississippi.

"So that's how much good he does up there on that committee," Johnson said.

The reapportionment committee drafted the approved map in the fall after holding nine public hearings through the state. Voting rights advocates say the congressional maps were drawn in secret and without sufficient public input.

White said the approved plan was the only one considered by the committee.

Both chambers are expected to take up legislative redistricting later in the 2022 session, but lawmakers have not provided a firm timeline on their plans.

Lee O. Sanderlin is an investigative and political reporter covering the state of Mississippi. Got a story tip? You can call him at 601-559-3857, send it to LSanderlin@gannett.com or message him on Twitter @LeeOSanderlin.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi House Republicans approve new congressional districts