The Alabama Democratic Conference Thursday filed a federal lawsuit seeking to overturn the state’s redistricting maps, charging they were drawn with the intent of minimizing minority participation in the voting process. The allegations raised in the complaint — filed against Gov. Robert Bentley and Secretary of State Beth Chapman — are similar to those raised [...]
Black lawmakers in the state of Alabama filed a lawsuit in federal court on Friday seeking an order that would invalidate the maps for legislative districts drawn by the Republican majority and require state lawmakers to redraw them. The Alabama Legislative Black Caucus, the Association of Black County Officials, and individual black elected officials claim [...]
Democrats have decided to forego a challenge to new redistricting maps in state court, and will instead press their case at the federal level. “Basically we knew it would be appealed and it would go to all Republican Supreme Court,” said House Minority Leader Craig Ford, D-Gadsden, in an interview Monday. “Based on advice from [...]
Lawmakers Wednesday night were moving new Legislative district maps into position for a final vote. The House’s Constitution, Campaigns and Elections committee approved a redistricting map for the Senate on a 6 to 1 vote Wednesday evening, a day after the Senate approved the new districts. A Senate committee was scheduled to take up the [...]
Everyone expected a special session to begin today, but Gov. Robert Bentley literally waited until the last minute of the regular legislative session late Wednesday night to let legislators know he was calling them back for the special session to begin later this morning. The special session, called to handle the bitter process of redrawing [...]