The Mississippi legislature is continuing to gather public input on redistricting. On Thursday, a crowd of residents from across the Pine Belt region waited their turn to speak to more than a dozen lawmakers in on the Joint Redistricting and Reapportionment Committee.
Kobee Vance
Mississippians voice concern and support for redistricting
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The crowded auditorium at the University of Southern Mississippi - Kobee Vance, MPB News
Waiting for the meeting to begin, Republican Senator Joey Fillingane of Hattiesburg said major changes in the Senate could be important for how the body draws new maps. He says the recent death of former Republican Senator John Polk and the retirement of Democratic Senator Juan Barnett could be major factors in those changes.
“I think there’s a lot of flux in what the districts in the Pine Belt might look like going forward,” said Fillingane. “About two-fifths of our Senate districts are now vacant. So that provides I think, opportunities as well as challenges because, depending on the lines are created, there may be new opportunities for new people to run. Or, if we go back to just the old districts, there’s certainly going to be some openings with no incumbents in those districts. So I think it’s going to be very important to see how this all plays out.”
During the more than two-hour-long meeting, dozens of people shared their opinions on redistricting. While most attendees were vocal in their opposition, there were several in the crowd who wanted redistricting to move forward.
Patricia Ballhagen is a Republican from Walthall County. She didn’t get a chance to speak at the podium but said she supports efforts to redistrict.
She said, “I feel you’ve got to look beyond some of this political mess, you’ve got to look beyond the color thing, you’ve got to look beyond this and look at what it will really do for your county. What it will really do for your people.”
Cash Anglin of Ovett asked lawmakers to block redistricting. But if they do move forward, he said they should keep the public’s best interest in mind. He said “Jones County has already been split, and I understand why, because it can’t remain a Senate district in itself because of [a growing population]. However, I would ask that new requirements or new standards be taken into account when redistricting, instead of just one or two. I believe it’s more of a nuanced subject.”
Jones County resident Ron Swindall is a Republican, but spoke out against redistricting. He says unfair maps have hurt Black voters, as well as his former white Senator, Republican Chris McDaniel.
“They stifled his voice by drawing him completely out of his district so he could not run again,” said Swindall. “That is gerrymandering at its best.”
While many Republicans say the state needs race-neutral maps, Democrat Melanie Sowell of Hattiesburg says that's not possible. She said, “In Mississippi, everything is about race. We know that the Black population majoritively votes in the Democratic fashion. So to say that this is not about race is simply a lie.”
There are two remaining public input hearings scheduled. On Tuesday, September 22, lawmakers will be on the campus of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College starting at 6 pm. And on October 1, they will be at the State Capitol in Jackson.
