Judges weigh arguments on gerrymandering

[Charlie Brown]

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/stories/0502redistrictingsuit.html

A three-judge panel was asked today to throw out Republican-backed changes to several Athens-area legislative districts on grounds that the sole intent was to hurt a Democratic senate candidate's chances.

"The connection is unavoidable," said Emmet J. Bonderant, an attorney for state representative and Senate hopeful Jane Kidd (D-Athens). "This is a classical political gerrymandering, and it's classically unnecessary."

The judges peppered lawyers for both sides with questions and did not issue any immediate ruling on Kidd's lawsuit, which has already resulted in a one-week extension for qualifying in three state Senate and 13 House seats in the Athens-East Georgia area.

At issue are the GOP motives for making changes to a federal court's legislative redistricting plan to split the Democratic stronghold of Athens in half.

The redistricting plan was introduced after Kidd announced her intention to run in the heavily Democratic Senate district, currently represented by Sen. Brian Kemp (R-Athens). Kemp is running for state agriculture commissioner, and his brother-in-law, Republican Bill Cowsert, is challenging Kidd for Kemp's seat.

Dunn argued that Sen. Ralph Hudgens (R-Comer), who sponsored the district changes, wanted the map so nearby Madison County could be in one Senate district.

Bonderant suggested that explanation was suspect since Hudgens and other GOP legislators rejected an alternative map, proposed by a House Democrat that would have put Madison County in a single district without having a significant impact on Athens voters.

[Inland]

1. "Judges uphold new legislative districts"

Written opinion to follow.