COBB COUNTY, Ga. — The Cobb County Commission Tuesday took its first step at tossing out Republican drawn commission district maps and reinstating the original Democrat drawn maps, though doing so may not be legal under Georgia’s Constitution.
Channel 2′s Richard Elliot learned the controversy is complicated. Traditionally, the Georgia General Assembly allows local legislative delegations to redraw commission district lines every 10 years during reapportionment. Democrats control the Cobb County Legislative Delegation, and earlier this year, they drew those lines.
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But then, the Republican minority on that delegation drew their own district lines, and got them approved by the GOP-controlled legislature, prompting fury among Cobb Democrats, though most experts believed the Republican move was legal. The same move was done in Gwinnett County.
Now, the Democrat-controlled Cobb County Commission wants to put the original maps back, and voted to do that Tuesday, the first of two required votes.
County Commission Chair Lisa Cupid, a Democrat, believes their efforts to invoke “Home Rule” and put the lines back are legal.
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“No board or no local delegation should feel as if the state is going to usurp the interest of the local government in the redrawing of maps,” Cupid said.
Republican County Commissioner JoAnn Birrell insists what the commission is doing isn’t legal.
“We have no power and authority over the state legislature,” said Birrell. “The House and Senate passed it in February and the Governor signed it into law, and we’ve already had a primary on the new districts.”
County Attorney William Rowling said no Georgia court had ever made a ruling on a case like this, and he expects there will be a legal challenge.
The commission will vote again on the measure at its October 25th meeting.
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