ATLANTA – In response to a federal court order upholding the 1964 Voting Rights Act, Georgia lawmakers convened a special session on Wednesday, with majority Republicans strategically working to mitigate losses while simultaneously addressing the directive to increase Black-majority districts.

This development follows a series of redistricting sessions across the South after the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling, granting Black voters the ability to seek changes through courts. Georgia House Republicans, in a significant move, unveiled a map on Tuesday that aims to create five additional majority-Black districts while costing them only two seats from their current 102-78 majority.

The proposed map introduces a nuanced strategy by pairing three sets of Democratic incumbents, potentially leading to Democrats losing three members after the 2024 elections. The intricate balance seeks to comply with a federal court order from U.S. District Judge Steve Jones, who emphasized the impermissibility of fixing issues “by eliminating minority opportunity districts elsewhere.”

Senate Republicans, keen on outperforming their counterparts, presented a map on Monday that not only creates two additional Black-majority voting districts but also aims to retain the GOP’s current 33-23 edge in the upper chamber.

The impending challenge lies in the formulation of a new congressional map, mandated to include one new Black-majority seat. To uphold the current 9-5 Republican majority in Georgia’s congressional delegation, lawmakers might need to dissolve the only congressional district held by a Democrat that isn’t majority-Black – Lucy McBath’s 7th District in the Atlanta suburbs of Gwinnett and Fulton counties.

Amidst uncertainties about the legality of these maneuvers, Republicans assert that their plans align with Judge Jones’ directives. Rob Levertt, an Elberton Republican and Chair of the House Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee, stated, “We believe this plan is better than what was proposed by the plaintiffs in litigation, and it complies with the order.”

However, critics, including Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler, a Stone Mountain Democrat, characterized the majority proposal as a “shell game” that continues to diminish the voting power of Black Georgians. The debate intensifies as the state navigates this critical juncture, adhering to the court order while grappling with the potential implications of the proposed redistricting plans.