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Leading candidate for Secretary of State calls on Governor to stop legislature’s partisan attack on voting rights - REDDY TO PURDUE: VETO ANTI-DEMOCRATIC REDISTRICTING
Feb. 23, 2006 -
Atlanta – Shyam Reddy, the leading candidate for Secretary of State in Georgia, today called on Governor Perdue to veto partisan legislation that would redraw districts to favor specific candidates for office. The Republican-controlled legislature has recently moved aggressively to pass redistricting bills in the State Senate (Bill 386) and House of Representatives (Bill 1137). Both pieces of legislation would gerrymander districts to favor Republican candidates in this year’s elections.
"These bills are transparent attempts by career politicians to manipulate district lines and protect their old ways of doing business,” said Reddy. “It's time someone told them there is a new generation of leaders in Georgia who won’t stand for it."
House Bill 1137 was sponsored by Representative Harry Geisinger in an attempt to redraw his own district ahead of a tough battle for re-election against Jan Hackney, a Democrat. Hackney ran against Geisinger in 2004 and took 47 percent of the vote. Senate Bill 386 was passed to give Senator Brian Kemp’s brother-in-law an advantage against Representative Jane Kidd who has declared her candidacy. The new map proposed divides the city of Athens into two Republican-leaning districts. Both legislative proposals have attracted a storm of opposition from voting-rights activists.
“The legislature is too focused on keeping their jobs instead of actually doing them,” said Reddy. "It should make people wonder what politicians are trying to hide when they have to draw special district lines to ensure re-election. Governor Perdue must live up to his oath to protect the rights of Georgians and veto this undemocratic legislation." |
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