TUPELO, Miss. — Mississippi residents at the first of several public redistricting hearings on Tuesday urged lawmakers not to redraw electoral maps, saying the effort would dilute Black political power and amounted to a needless “power grab,” Mississippi Today reported.
The Republican-dominated joint House and Senate committee on redistricting opened the hearing at Itawamba Community College in a nearly packed room, committee leaders said. The leaders told attendees the hearings are intended to gather feedback before the committee makes recommendations to the full Legislature, possibly in a special session this fall, Mississippi Today reported.
The effort follows a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Louisiana Callais case in May. The decision struck part of the Voting Rights Act and, by removing certain protections for minority districts, cleared the way for Republican-controlled legislatures to redraw political lines, Mississippi Today reported.
Speakers at the Tupelo hearing warned redistricting would split neighborhoods, weaken communities and roll back gains in Black representation. “If maps are redrawn, they will split neighborhoods, divide communities, take away resources from already weakened communities,” the Rev. Jeffrey Gladney said. Jim Newman, chairman of the Lee County Democratic Party, accused lawmakers of responding to pressure from President Donald Trump and called the proposed changes “a power grab.” Teresa Roberts and Katie Gilbert said redistricting would harm marginalized people and help drive young residents from the state. Walter Jones said the changes made him question his decision to move to Mississippi after seeing progress on race relations.
Only one speaker, Mike Walker, voiced support for redistricting. Civil rights leaders, Black lawmakers and voting-rights advocates attending the hearing said the process could dismantle majority-Black districts. Democratic Rep. Rickey Thompson of Shannon said he doubted Republican committee members would heed public input. Republican leaders, however, say the Callais ruling ended improper consideration of race in map drawing and some GOP figures have called for heavy partisan redistricting, including changes to U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson’s district, Mississippi Today reported. Cliff Johnson, a University of Mississippi law professor and the Democratic nominee for U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly’s seat, said the hearing showed many Mississippians do not want maps that inflame racial and partisan divides.
The committee invited the public to attend seven more hearings or submit written comments to Ted Booth, the committee’s attorney, at ted.booth@peer.ms.gov. The remaining hearings start at 6 p.m. on Aug. 27 at Northwest Mississippi Community College in Southaven; Sept. 1 at Delta State University in Cleveland; Sept. 8 at Alcorn State University in Natchez; Sept. 10 at Meridian Community College in Meridian; Sept. 17 at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg; Sept. 22 at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Gulfport; and Oct. 1 at the state Capitol in Jackson, Mississippi Today reported.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
