The Republicans in charge of redrawing the state's House and Senate districts sat quietly and mostly stoned faced at a public hearing Thursday as speaker after speaker accused them of trying dilute the power of black voters.
The hearing, which was conducted simultaneously at seven sites across the state utilizing a sometimes shaky video link, was to gather feedback on the GOP's plans for districts intended to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act.
Though the Republican plan could result in a net gain of black legislators, members of the NAACP and other groups that represent minority voters assailed the plan as a Machiavellian attempt to turn civil rights legislation on its head by packing black voters into a handful of districts while leaving the rest more white, and, potentially, more Republican.
Ben Griffin, a member of the NAACP chapter from New Hanover County, called the GOP plan a "return to segregation and isolation for partisan advantage."
"This will make it harder, not easier, for minorities to have their interests represented," Griffin said.
Dan McCorkle of Charlotte pointed to a proposed district in Charlotte that a carves a small majority white condo development into a different voting district that the mostly black neighborhoods surrounding it.
"This is blatant and shocking in its political audacity," McCorkle said. "These districts are plainly gerrymandered."
Others pointed to what appeared to be conscious attempts to redistrict prominent white Democrats such as Sen. Linda Garrou of Winston-Salem and Rep. Pricey Harrison of Greensboro, into minority-majority districts were they could have a harder time winning a party primary.
Of the first three dozen people who spoke at the hearing, none were in favor of the GOP plan.
Even some Republicans rose to criticize proposed lines that would cleave counties, small towns and even individual voting precincts into two or even three different legislative districts.
"I'm a Republican," said Todd Bennett of Franklin County. "We're going to spend a lot of time and money defending these districts that are indefensible. It's just wrong."
Senate Redistricting Chair Bob Rucho, a Republican from Matthews, assured the crowd that the map drafters would take the concerns of those who spoke into consideration before issuing the final plan.
Democrats are likely to challenge the GOP-drawn districts in court.
Comments
Republicans want to segregate black voters
June 24, 2011 - 8:51am — MalleusMaleficarumThe Republican version of redistricting is straight out of the Jim Crow Era. Republicans were never comfortable with civil rights, now they want to restrict black voters to ghettoes so they won't contaminate the segregationists living in gated communities. This is outrageous, and it is a bright and shining example of a broken system of redistricting.
Why do blacks...???
June 24, 2011 - 6:45am — BitterEXdemocratContinue to support the evil 'party' that keeps us ALL ENSLAVED?
Republicans FREED the slaves, democrats perpetuate slavery.
OUTLAW the TWO MOST EVIL FORCES THAT CONTROL US!
democrackkks AND republicannots, enemies of the people and the state.
Never Ends
June 23, 2011 - 11:17pm — BurlHarleyWhat else must be done to appease the NAACP and Democrat voters? If they had not drawn the districts to increase black representation, that would have been the shortcomings of the redistricting plans, but increasing representation is somehow seen as even more racist and partisan. This is absolutely absurd. We live in a society much different than when the VRA was created. The right solution would be to do away with it and base the districts entirely upon population, not giving any group preference or special treatment.
Sadly, the federal government, encouraged by the NAACP and rabble-rousers like William Barber, are forcing outdated, unnecessary, and costly practices on the states. Get over it, racism may not be dead on a micro scale, but it is undoubtedly no longer institutionalized and does not exist in our current government. Those who incessantly clamor "racism" are keeping this moot issue alive and it is despicable that they would identify themselves under the same pennant as true Civil Rights leaders of the past.
District for Davis
June 23, 2011 - 9:47pm — InspectorPittIt appears Don Davis may become a Republican!
Of course, I'm jesting.
Yet, when you look at the 5th Senate District it is obvious that someone was looking after Davis, who lost the last election to Louis Pate. Oh, but they will be looking after Pate, too, since he's been taken out of that district. It remains to be seen but Pate's district will become more conservative and probably a lock for him to win. How sad!