JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
Proposed district lines for the house of representatives are now in place and on display at the state capitol. The map was unveiled Wednesday morning during a reapportionment subcommittee meeting where it was adopted.
"We have worked very hard to draw a plan that is fair and complies with the law," said committee chairman Rep. Bill Denny, a republican from Jackson.
Under that plan five pairs of incumbents would fall in the same district, forcing them to run against each other. Three of those pairs would be democrat against democrat while the other two pairs would be democrat against republican.
With the GOP in charge, representative Percy Watson, a democrat who voted against the plan, says it's a map designed to decrease the number of democratic incumbents and make winning elections more difficult.
"It is my intent at this particular point along with many of my colleagues to oppose this map," said Watson, of Hattiesburg.
After passing the subcommittee, two hours later the map was before the joint legislative reapportionment committee where it was adopted as well. Rep. Denny is one of the two republicans who would be forced into a district with a democratic incumbent. To reflect population shifts, Denny says the plan creates new districts in Desoto, Madison, Oktibbeha and Forrest counties as well as create 42 majority-minority districts and reduce the number of split precincts from 537 to 172.
"This plan has been vetted by the experts and we've complied with all the state laws and federal laws. I think we've got a very good plan, a very fair plan and I'm confident the justice department would approve it," said Denny.
Some democrats aren't buying it and criticize the line drawing process saying for the most part, lawmakers were kept in the dark.
"There was considerable secrecy and members really haven't had a chance to participate in the process up to this point," said Watson.
Democrats plan to present their own map in the coming days. In the meantime republicans will continue to push theirs, setting the stage for debate when the maps make it to the house floor.
At this point the senate plan is still being reviewed before it's presented for committee approval. That map is expected in the next few days.
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