Wednesday, February 20, 2002
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Wednesday, February 20, 2002 |
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Westmoreland: Fight over district lines to continue By JOHN
THOMPSON
With nearly half of the General Assembly gone, state Rep. Lynn Westmoreland doesn't see much major legislation on the horizon. Since this an election year, the Sharpsburg Republican said many of the legislators are focusing on the upcoming fall election. But before an election can take place, the candidates need to know what district they will represent. Last summer's bitter battle over drawing new legislative and congressional lines has wound up in court. The closing arguments are scheduled to be heard Feb. 26 in a Washington, D.C., district court. If Republicans lose this court fight, Westmoreland said the fight is not over. "If we lose this round, we'll probably file an equal protection lawsuit. If the state loses, they'll probably appeal the decision to the Supreme Court," he said. Westmoreland also has authored a constitutional amendment that he said would clear up some of the partisan politics that seems to crop up every 10 years when the maps are redone. House Resolution 837 calls for several requirements before the maps can be submitted, including: All the districts shall comply with the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The districts shall have as close to zero deviation from the ideal population size as is arithmetically possible to ensure that each senator, representative or congressman represents, as close as possible, an equal number of inhabitants of the state. All districts shall be composed of contiguous territory. The districts shall be compact in form. Bizarre shapes shall be avoided unless necessary to comply with the other requirements. No district shall divide a community of interest unless necessary to comply with federal standards. No district shall be established with the intent or effect of diluting the voting strength of any person, group of persons, or members of any political party. Districts shall divide as few counties and recognized political boundaries as is practical. Single member districts shall be used in all cases and multi-member districts shall be prohibited. Westmoreland said the only local legislation he has seen from Fayette County is approval of changes to the Peachtree City charter.
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