ATLANTA — Georgia Republicans’ proposed congressional map adds a majority Black district as ordered by the court, but opponents say it still targets a heavily diverse minority area and uproots a Democratic district.

Critics of the proposal said Dec. 4 that it unfairly targets the Gwinnett County-based District 7, represented by Democrat U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath — whose district lines have been changed twice before. The district also includes a small portion of Fulton County.

In October, U.S. District Court Judge Steve Jones ordered that the state’s districts be redrawn to add a majority-Black congressional district in west-metro Atlanta — where Black voters have an opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice — in response to the growth in Black and minority populations.

Under the Republican proposal, District 6 becomes a new majority-Black district. It includes parts of Cobb, Douglas Fulton and Fayette counties.

Shelly Echols, R-Gainesville, chair of the Senate Committee on Reappointment and Redistricting Committee, said adding the new district resulted in changes to nine of the state’s 14 congressional districts districts. All of them are in the northern parts of Georgia: Districts 4, 5,6,7, 9,10, 11, 13 and 14.

“To be very clear, we did not eliminate any existing majority-Black seats in drawing this district, so District 6 is, in fact, a new majority-Black congressional district,” Echols said.

The proposed District 6, District 7, and the south metro Atlanta-based District 13, currently represented by Democrat David Scott, saw the most significant changes.

District 13 now stretches north to include all of Rockdale County and a large part of Gwinnett County, which, under the proposal, is now split into four districts.

“This configuration enables us to keep the district anchored in metro Atlanta instead of sending it farther east in rural areas,” Echols said. “In drawing District 13, its Black (voting age population) decreased significantly, but it remains a majority Black district at 51.45%.”

Under the Republican proposal, District 7 is no longer in more diverse Gwinnett County. The proposal shifts the district significantly north to include parts of north Fulton, Forsyth, Dawson, Cherokee, Hall and Lumpkin counties — the majority of them rural counties.

While not a majority Black district currently, District 7 is a majority-minority district. According to 2022 U.S. Census data, an estimated 32% of the district identified as white; 31% identified as Black; 22% identified as Hispanic; and 13% Asian.

Echols defended the shift during the committee hearing on Dec. 4.

“The Voting Rights Act protects distinct racial groups, not coalitions of voters,” Echols said. “District 7 was not a majority Black district on the 2021 plan and it is not a majority Black district on this plan. So there’s no concern about eliminating a minority opportunity district.”

Several speakers during the public hearing Dec. 4 disagreed, however.

“While we are talking about the fact that there were was a majority Black district created, I ask that you to look at this from another angle — that there are still nine majority white districts,” said Stephani Ali, policy director for The New Georgia Project Action Fund. “That is an angle that I think the judge is going to look at, and that’s going to be important for this committee to think about if we don’t want to spend taxpayer money in court and we don’t want to have to see it redrawn by a special master.”

Ken Lawler of Fair Districts GA said dismantling the current District 7 as a minority coalition does not adhere to the spirit of the Voting Rights Act protections, which protect all voters of color and minorities.

“Our view is that District 7 does not retain those protections, as it was a strong minority district with a coalition that is no longer a strong minority district at all,” Lawler said. “By losing District 7 as a minority district, we believe that it does not pass muster and does not meet the requirements of court order.”

It was presumed that under Jones’ instructions, Democrats would gain a district to accommodate Black growth in metro Atlanta.

However, the map proposal keeps Republicans with a 9-5 advantage over Democrats. Lawler said Republicans are trying to maintain political balance by repurposing District 7 from a Democrat district into a Republican district.

“Our belief is that this exercise should be about implementing the remedy and all political considerations should be off the table,” Lawler said.

The Senate Committee on Reappointment and Redistricting approved the proposal in a partisan vote on Dec. 4, and the proposal now heads to the Senate floor.

“This map meets the promise we made when this process began: It fully complies with the judge’s order while also following Georgia’s traditional redistricting principles,” House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, said of the proposal. “We look forward to passing this fair redistricting plan.”

Jones ordered the state’s district maps be redrawn by Dec. 8 for the court’s final approval.

In a 101-77 partisan vote Dec. 1, the House members approved its Republican drawn House district proposal, which was to include five additional majority Black districts. Senators approved its proposed district maps, which was ordered to include two additional majority Black districts, in a 32-23 partisan vote.

All three maps must be approved in each chamber before going to the governor for signing.

Jones will decide on the final approval of new district maps, which are planned to be used in 2024 elections.