The statement, from state GOP Chairman Arnie Hederman, said the Mississippi Republican Party is pleased that the speaker is endorsing the value of keeping as many precincts intact as possible, respecting historic boundaries and following the guidelines of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
That’s great. McCoy, who is a Democrat, has always emphasized the points he made in his Sunday column. We urge you to read the speaker’s column for yourself – and we are sure once you do that you’ll appreciate his stand on legislative redistricting. Simply put, McCoy’s comments should not surprise anyone.
Nevertheless, below is the complete statement from Hederman (which you also can find at the Mississippi Republican Party Web site).
“We are pleased that Speaker McCoy has gone on the record endorsing key principles in our legislative redistricting process, including the value of keeping as many precincts intact as possible, respecting historical boundaries and communities of interest, ensuring that districts are geographically compact, and doing all of this within the guidelines set forth by the Voting Rights Act.
“To that end, we encourage and expect all members of the legislature, Republicans and Democrats alike, to carefully review not only the Joint Committee’s proposal but also alternative proposals made available by others. We are hopeful that Republicans and Democrats can come together, consider the complete proposals available to them, and support the proposal that best reflects those principles that we share and best holds to the standards set by state law.
“Mississippians deserve the plan that best reflects them and their communities, not the plan that best serves over 130 years of entrenched political interests. Legislators owe it to the voters they have been elected to represent to take time and review options, not rush to judgment on a plan that deeply affects our state for a decade.”
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