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Gold Dome Update 
Highlights from the House 

Every once in a blue moon, the Georgia General Assembly will meet outside of our normal 40-day legislative session for what we refer to as "Special Session." Special Sessions are usually convened under extraordinary circumstances such as disaster relief funding, balancing the budget or, in this specific case, REAPPORTIONMENT. Every 10 years, under Federal Law, we are required to redistrict our state and congressional districts to reflect population loss or in Georgia's case, population growth. Below I have taken the liberty of providing a quick overview of what happens during our state’s redistricting process.
2021 Special Session Legislative Update
What is it Reapportionment?
Since the U.S. Census occurred during 2020, all 50 states must begin the process of modifying the boundary lines of statewide districts ahead of the 2022 election cycle. In short, we are responsible for ensuring that the number of people in each legislative and congressional district are adjusted so that the population in each district is as close to equal as possible. Since the last census, which took place in 2010, our state grew by approximately one million. Why does this matter? This matters because the number of representatives, allotted by the U.S. Constitution, at the federal level is determined by the number of people of in each state. That is why you see states like California have more congressional districts, translating into more Representatives in D.C., than the less populated states.

Current Congressional Map
How does this impact Georgia?
While there has been an increase, Georgia’s population growth did not constitute the need for another congressional district, thus keeping us at the current number of U.S. Representatives, 14. However, each U.S. Representative will be charged with representing more citizens from their district, 765,136, respectively. While we are redrawing congressional districts, we are also charged with redrawing lines at the state level.
Redistricting can be contentious as some districts, in less populated areas may be drawn out, while more populated areas will gain additional representation at the state level. According to the census, all 56 state Senate districts will be redrawn to include approximately 191,284 people, and all 180 state House districts will increase to approximately 59,511 people. The 2020 U.S. Census data may also lead to new maps for local county commission or school board districts.
 
2010 vs. 2020 Census
What is the redistricting process in Georgia?
Over the last few months, General Assembly members who serve on the Reapportionment and Redistricting Committees began working hard in order to draft new maps. Joint Committee meetings, held all over the state, allotted for expert testimony, and made way for citizens to voice concerns. Taking into consideration all information, given through these hearings, Committee members began the redistricting process.
Over the course of the next few weeks, those members will present us with their recommendations for new district maps through the committee process. Once approved by the General Assembly, we will then vote on the new district maps which will become law if signed by Governor Kemp. It is important to remember that Federal law stipulates those districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate based on race. If you are interested in learning more about the redistricting process, I encourage you to visit the Georgia General Assembly website.


What’s Next?
While the purpose of this Special Session is for the primary purpose of redistricting, we are also holding committee meetings in preparation for the 2022 General Legislative Session as all legislation introduced during the 2021 legislative session is still alive and up for consideration. In the coming weeks, please be on the lookout for updates as to how our congressional and state districts may be impacted. Remember, these are only the PROPOSED maps. This does not mean that what you see below will be the final product, following our redistricting process. There will likely be many changes in the coming weeks.
 
Proposed Maps
Congressional . Senate . House
Be on the lookout for future updates covering our Special Session and our regular Session, which will begin in January. In the meantime, if you have questions or concerns, I encourage you to reach out to my Capitol office, directly. As always, thank you for taking an active interest your General Assembly at work. It is an honor to serve as your voice under the Gold Dome. 


Respectfully,
Shaw Blackmon
Representative of Georgia's 146th House District

Helpful Links

The Georgia General Assembly has unveiled a brand-new website! This site is easy to navigate and I encourage you to explore this great informational tool. Check out the helpful links below. 
Representative Shaw Blackmon
District 146

Phone: 404-656-5103
Address: 133 State Capitol
Atlanta, Georgia 30334