GOP's Cobb commission, school board maps signed by Gov. Kemp

Mar. 3—Gov. Brian Kemp has signed the Republican-sponsored Cobb County commission and school board maps into law.

The controversial redistricting will take effect Jan. 1, 2023, and the new boundaries will apply in commission and school board elections set to be held in November as well as their May 24 primary elections.

Kemp's signature caps off weeks of partisan enmity over the local redistricting process, as Democrats have charged the maps are a Republican ploy to gerrymander their way into holding onto power at the local level. The maps were advanced without the approval of the county's local delegation, where Democrats make up an 11-9 majority.

State Rep. Erick Allen, D-Smyrna, the delegation's chairman, said the circumvention of the local process has no known precedent in Georgia.

Republicans, meanwhile, have said the maps are legally sound, fair, and reflect Cobb's "communities of interest" in their boundaries. In the case of the commission map, they contend it maintains the current 3-2 Democratic majority on the board.

As to their colleagues' procedural argument, Republicans maintain the local legislative process is for bills that have a consensus from the delegation — something entirely absent from this year's redistricting process.

Especially contentious has been Republican state Rep. John Carson's commission map, which draws sitting Democratic Commissioner Jerica Richardson out of her district. The map shifts District 2 from the county's eastern boundary to one that follows I-75 from Cumberland to Kennesaw.

With little precedent for the move, Richardson's political fate remains uncertain, but her time in office could be ended prematurely if she does not move within the new boundaries before the maps take effect.

Legislative counsel Stuart Morelli said in a hearing last month the only comparable example in recent memory dates from 1994, when Villa Rica's then-Mayor Teddy Lee had his home de-annexed from the city. After the city tried to remove him from office, Lee took them to court.

While state law states that no office can be abolished or have its term shortened without a referendum, the court found that the law applies only to the office, "not necessarily the right of any particular individual to hold that office," Morelli said. Lee lost his seat as a result.

Richardson has held her cards close about what her next move will be thus far. Last week, she told the MDJ she would have an update when the maps became law, but didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Cobb Chair Lisa Cupid said over the weekend the maps were a "macro-aggression" that targeted Black elected officials.

Carson said Wednesday he was pleased with Kemp's signature of the commission bill.

"I am glad we were able to preserve communities of interest, not incumbent politicians, for the benefit of our county," Carson said.

The school board map, meanwhile, is the same one approved by board Republicans last year in a party line vote. Drafted by lawyers at Taylor English Duma, it drew school board member Dr. Jaha Howard into colleague Charisse Davis' district. Then-Chairman Randy Scamihorn said the move was unavoidable, because Howard had moved so close to Davis that it was impossible to keep them in separate districts while complying with constitutional standards.

Howard, for his part, is campaigning to become state school superintendent this year.

"The governor saw what we saw," said state Rep. Ginny Ehrhart, R-west Cobb, who sponsored the school board map. "These are great maps that represent the will of the people ... the good folks of Cobb County will be well-represented by the members of the school board."

Board Chairman David Chastain, meanwhile, told the MDJ, "I just want to get this behind us and focus on what's best for our kids." On the prospect of a legal challenge, Chastain said that was precisely the reason why the board had sought the law firm's help — to ensure "we would be in compliance with all the rules and regulations."

Democratic school board member Leroy "Tre" Hutchins said Wednesday he's heard "rumblings" of "next steps" on the map, deferring to lawmakers on what those might be.

Allen, who is campaigning to be Georgia's next lieutenant governor, declined to elaborate for the time being.

But Allen pledged, "There will be more steps. I don't think this ends with the governor's signature."