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House adopts redistricting plan to redraw House District 22 after federal order
Summary
The Mississippi House adopted a joint resolution that redraws House District 22 to create a majority‑minority district, affecting five House districts and setting an election schedule; the measure passed 78–33 after floor debate about process and community input.
The Mississippi House adopted a joint resolution to redraw House District 22, a court‑ordered change intended to comply with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, voting 78 yeas to 33 nays.
Representative (Covington), who presented the plan on the House floor, told members the redraw responds to a July 2024 decision by a three‑judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. “This is the redistricting bill that we were required to do,” the representative said, summarizing the court’s order and the criteria used to produce the plan.
The proposed map makes House District 22 — centered in Chickasaw County and currently represented by Representative Lancaster — a majority‑minority district with an APBVAP (African‑American citizen voting‑age population) of approximately 51.18% and a population deviation of 4.8%. The sponsor said the redraft affects five seats in total (House Districts 22, 16, 36, 39 and 41), and that it was developed “to affect as few districts as possible,” preserving incumbency where feasible.
The plan alters neighboring districts as follows, according to the sponsor’s floor description: District 16 cedes territory on its southeastern border, reducing its APBVAP; District 36 yields and gains precincts with a modest APBVAP reduction; District 39 exchanges territory with neighboring counties but remains non‑majority‑minority; and District 41 experiences only a small APBVAP change. The sponsor said the new District 22 would include nearly all of Chickasaw County and a small precinct in Clay County and that it “would afford minority voters in that district an opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice.”
Members questioned the sponsor about the process. Representative Johnson (Adams) asked whether outside plans the plaintiffs submitted were reviewed; the sponsor said the plaintiffs sent a proposed map and documents and that he reviewed those materials but did not hold separate calls with the plaintiffs. Representative Johnson also asked whether community leaders and local officials were consulted; the sponsor replied he met with the five affected House members and would have considered maps from other local sources but did not seek out local officials or hold public hearings in the affected communities.
Floor discussion included concern from several members about the potential for further litigation if the court found the plan inconsistent with its guidance. The sponsor said experts had run performance analyses and that those analyses showed the new majority‑minority districts “perform” under Section 2 standards, and he urged adoption.
After debate the House adopted the joint resolution. The resolution also sets an election schedule for affected districts — party primaries in August, qualifying in May and the general election in November — and directs that new plans be delivered to local election officials by April 25 so local systems can be updated.
Votes at a glance: Joint Resolution 1 (redraw House District 22) — Passed, 78 yeas, 33 nays.
Why it matters: The change directly implements a federal court order addressing Section 2 Voting Rights Act concerns in a district based in Chickasaw County. The adopted map reconfigures multiple neighboring districts and establishes the timetable for new elections and local election preparations.
What’s next: The House plan will be delivered to local election officials as required; members raised that the court could review the plan if plaintiffs pursue further action.
