Speaker McCoy statement on legislative redistricting: ‘The matter is settled’

SPEAKER BILLY McCOY

JACKSON (Wednesday, March 16, 2011) – The state House has had it. Leaders are tired of the political games and stonewalling of Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, who does not want the Senate to approve the House redistricting plan.

Bryant, who serves as president of the 52-member state Senate, is more interested in playing partisan politics with redistricting. He appears to be willing to sacrifice a solid, fair redistricting plan approved by the state House and drag this issue to court.

And Bryant appears ready to force taxpayers to foot the costly and unnecessary bill of funding two legislative elections, one under the current plan in November 2011 and another under new districts that likely would be held in November 2012.

Hmmm. Something doesn’t feel right about this. Let’s see.


Phil Bryant wants to make taxpayers foot the bill for two elections in a row while – at the same time – the Senate under his leadership wants to halt funding for the Public Employee Retirement System if the agency on Jan. 1, 2012, increases as planned the state’s contribution to employees retirement. What’s wrong with this picture?

Well, House Speaker Bill McCoy release as statement today that said as far as he is concerned, “the matter is over. The Senate has approved its plan and the House has approved its plan.” McCoy had his statement read into the House Journal. You can read it here in full:

“In adopting JR 201, the Mississippi House of Representatives has approved the plan for the redistricting of its members (for a second time), as well as included in the resolution the plan sent to the House for the redistricting of the members of the Senate (without changes). As far as I am concerned, the matter is settled. The Senate has approved its plan, and the House has approved its plan.


“For the 50 years that the Mississippi Legislature has been conforming its district lines to meet the demands of one-person, one-vote and the Voting Rights Act, the Legislature has conducted this business with one overriding tradition in mind – that neither house will interfere with the districts of the other house. We have maintained this tradition for half a century, it has served the state well, and I have no intention of changing that tradition for as long as I am speaker.


“This year the Mississippi Legislature has passed fair redistricting plans after sixteen (16) public hearings, approved unanimously by the bi-partisan Joint Legislative Committee on Legislative Redistricting, and vigorous floor debate.


“Should the Senate choose to invite conference on JR 201, I will not entertain that request nor will I appoint conferees. In addition, the House will immediately transmit JR 201 to the Department of Justice and seek preclearance of the plan for use in the upcoming elections. We will ask the Department of Justice to work with us in adopting this plan to prevent the taxpayers from having to pay for two sets of legislative elections and from having to pay for the expensive cost of litigation. There is no reason whatsoever that the Legislature should incur these unnecessary costs at the same time we are cutting education, Medicaid and mental health.”