Georgia Republican legislative leaders backed away from a plan to redraw congressional and legislative maps during a special session, rejecting Gov. Brian Kemp’s push to move quickly after a major U.S. Supreme Court redistricting ruling.
House Speaker Jon Burns sent Kemp a letter hours before lawmakers convened, saying map changes should happen only after lawmakers and residents have had “ample opportunity” to gather facts and provide input, WSB-TV reported. Senate President Pro Tem Larry Walker III said Senate Republicans agreed with Burns and would not move forward during the session.
The decision undercut the agenda Kemp outlined in his May proclamation, which called lawmakers back to Atlanta to consider new Georgia House, Georgia Senate and congressional districts for 2028 after Louisiana v. Callais. The Associated Press reported Burns cited pending litigation and uncertainty about how race can be used in mapmaking after the ruling.
Kemp’s office said the governor did not believe there was a reason to delay, but acknowledged redistricting is the General Assembly’s responsibility.
The session will still focus on Georgia’s election system. A 2024 law bars the use of QR codes for official vote tabulation after July 1, but lawmakers have not approved or funded a replacement. Georgia’s current system uses touchscreen ballot-marking devices that print a human-readable ballot summary and a QR code scanned to count votes.
The issue has become urgent because a July 28 special election is scheduled to fill the remainder of late U.S. Rep. David Scott’s term, with early voting beginning July 6. WABE reported Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has estimated a new system would require about $66 million in state funding.
For now, the redistricting retreat gives Democrats and voting rights activists a reprieve. But Republican leaders have not ruled out returning to the issue later.
