NAACP intends to challenge Legislature redistricting plan. See details
The Mississippi Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People will challenge parts of a Legislature-approved plan to redraw some House and Senate districts, as ordered by a federal court.
On Monday, the NAACP filed a motion in a federal lawsuit it has been engaged in with the state that claims that when the Legislature in 2022 redrew legislative districts, it diluted Black voting power in certain areas.
The motion filed by the plaintiffs asks for briefings to be held to present amendments to the Legislature's plan.
"Plaintiffs intend to file partial objections to certain aspects of the adopted plans," the plaintiffs' attorneys wrote. "Consistent with the Court's July 18 Remedial Order, Plaintiffs in lodging their objections will be 'prepared at that same time to present an alternative redistricting plan.'"
The Monday court filing did not include those proposed changes.
The Legislature was ordered by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court for the Southern District of Mississippi in 2024 to redraw the state lines, and both the Senate and House passed proposals and submitted them to the court last week.
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The Monday filing also made note that the defendants, the Mississippi State Board of Election Commissioners, oppose the plaintiffs' motion.
The State Board of Election Commissioners is comprised of Republicans Gov. Tate Reeves, Secretary of State Michael Watson and Attorney General Lynn Fitch.
Of the plan lawmakers submitted to the court last week, the House would have five amended districts in Northeast Mississippi, and the Senate would have 10 impacted districts with the creation of two new Black-Majority districts in DeSoto County and in the Hattiesburg area.
Redistricting plan: House, Senate pass redistricting plan for 15 districts. See whose seat is up for election
The NAACP isn't the only group upset with the plan. The DeSoto County Board of Supervisors has also put out a statement that it is seeking outside counsel to challenge the Legislature's redistricting plan.
"In light of the potential adverse impact upon our county and its citizens created by the Mississippi Senate's proposed redistricting plan, the DeSoto County Board of Supervisors has retained outside legal counsel to explore all legal remedies available to it in order to contest the Senate plan on behalf of the voters of DeSoto County," the statement reads.
As for challenges inside the legislature, both Desoto County lawmakers and House and Senate Democrats have opposed the Legislature's redistricting plan.
Senate Pro Tempore and Rules Commitee chairman Dean Kirby, R-Pearl, who handled the Senate's redistricting plan, said he was disappointed the NAACP filed a motion challenging the plan, but he strongly reiterated that the Legislature complied with the federal court order.
"Our map complies with the court order," Kirby said. "We did everything they asked. I was disappointed they filed the lawsuit to begin with when every legislator, every (Senate) Democrat, was happy with the (2022) map."
Grant McLaughlin covers the Legislature and state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: NAACP opposing legislature's redistricting plan
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