The Clarion-Ledger: Showtime near on redistricting

JACKSON (Monday, Feb. 28, 2011) – When will the Mississippi Legislature actually consider plans to redraw the state House and Senate districts? Well, a story in the today’s edition of The Clarion-Ledger quotes state Sen. Terry Burton as saying lawmakers could consider the issue as early as Thursday.

Or, Burton – who co-chairs the Standing Joint Legislative Committee on Legislative Reapportionment – said the issue could be pushed back to next week. Either way, it’s coming. And it’s coming soon. Here’s a little of what the story reports:

The new state legislative maps will have to reflect growth in northwest Mississippi around DeSoto County, losses in the Delta and in the eastern-central part of the state around Noxubee and Kemper counties, Burton said.


Sen. Willie Simmons, D-Cleveland, said the five senators who represent the Delta are lobbying the leadership to ensure the map does not lead to a loss of representation for that part of the state, even though the districts will have to grow to take in population centers.

The three counties he represents are among those with the greatest population losses. Bolivar, Humphreys and Sunflower counties lost a combined 13,238 residents in a decade, according to the 2010 census.

The story doesn’t include anything from Rep. Tommy Reynolds, the other co-chair of the joint committee. It does, however, quote Rep. Philip Gunn of Clinton as saying Republicans don’t want a court challenge to redistricting – “but we’re not afraid of it.”

Click here to read the full story.