Political Rewind: As Redistricting Hearings Begin, Georgians Ask For Transparency, Non-Partisanship
Wednesday on Political Rewind: It was the first opportunity for the public\xa0to weigh in on the consequential\xa0and likely contentious\xa0process of drawing Georgia's new political boundaries. Last night's virtual meeting saw input from many young students' concerns about gerrymandering.\n\nGeorgia Tech student Alex Ames told the committee that districts drawn to split up colleges and universities leave\xa0students with less of a say over important issues in their communities, such as public safety and development.\n\n\u201cWhat does it teach our students when we draw their maps so that even when they do vote, their voter efficacy is stifled?" she said.\xa0"We're teaching young people to distrust and disengage in our democracy by gerrymandering them.\u201d\n\nMany of the speakers, which included several elected representatives,\xa0urged\xa0redistricting leaders\xa0to draw political districts without regard to partisan gain.\n\nThere will be 10 more similar hearings schedules across the state. The next hearing is scheduled for\xa0June 28 in Atlanta, with future hearings in Cummings, Dalton, Columbus, Brunswick and other cities.\n\nThe chair of the Senate Redistricting Committee, Sen. John Kennedy (R-Macon), joined us today to discuss the process.\n\nIn other news, the initial outcome of two special elections for the state House shows the ongoing partisan divide between metro Atlanta and rural Georgia. While a Democrat and Republican won slots in a runoff for a Cobb County House seat, two Republicans will face off in a runoff for a seat in south Georgia.\n\nPanelists:\n\nSen. John Kennedy \u2014 State Senator (R-Macon)\n\nSen. Kim Jackson \u2014 State Senator (D-Stone Mountain)\n\nMargaret Coker \u2014 Editor-in-chief, The Current\n\nGreg Bluestein \u2014 Political Reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution