Deal signs House, Senate maps

ATLANTA — Gov. Nathan Deal has signed into law new state House and state Senate legislative district maps.
 
“Georgians can be proud of what their legislators produced in these new maps,” Deal said in a statement. “After all the shenanigans we saw 10 years ago with multimember districts and outrageous gerrymandering, we have upheld our vow to keep communities together.
 
“House and Senate leaders held hearings across the state and worked individually with members of both parties,” Deal added. “Both bodies produced maps that obey federal laws and honor the one-person-one-vote principle. The maps also pass the 'optics test,' meaning that a casual viewer could look at the districts and tell they make sense. It's a benefit to our state and a benefit to our taxpayers that we have accomplished this important part of the special session so quickly. I'm proud to sign my name to these maps which will shape our General Assembly for the next decade.”
 
The state legislature is in the midst of a two-week-long special session to approve new voting districts for state and federal offices following last year's census.