ATLANTA, GA - Tennessee House and Senate Democratic legislative leaders travelled to Atlanta this week to meet with leaders from other southern states and support Georgia lawmakers in their fight against that state’s redistricting effort. Tennessee House Minority Leader Karen Camper, Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari, House Democratic Caucus Chair John Ray Clemmons, and Senate Democratic Caucus Chair London Lamar joined with Democratic legislative leaders from Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Texas on the eve of Georgia's special legislative session on Wednesday.

At the urging of President Trump, Republican-led states across the south have been redrawing congressional districts since a U.S. Supreme Court decision last April that weakened the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Now Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has called a special legislative session to consider mid-decade gerrymandering for Congressional and state legislative districts for 2028. In opposition, Georgia Democratic leadership is calling for a constitutional amendment to ban partisan gerrymandering in the state.

Tennessee's state legislature redrew its Congressional maps in early May, eliminating the state's only majority Black district before elections later this year. TN House Democratic Leader Karen Camper said "Having just been through a redistricting that diminished the ability of an African-American community to vote for the Congressperson of their choice, we want to lend whatever support we can to the Georgia lawmakers facing the same situation and be able to provide advice and encouragement as they enter into their special session. Across the South, protections for our communities are being stripped away. When Black representation is diminished, democracy is weakened. When communities of color lose their voice, all communities lose power. And when one group's rights are threatened, no community is truly safe."

“While we continue to fight injustices across the South, it was important for the Democratic leaders of the southern states to meet and coordinate our ongoing battles against attacks on our citizen’s voting rights”, added TN House Democratic Caucus Chair John Ray Clemmons. “In a coordinated and strategic manner, we are developing a southern strategy for the New South to benefit every American family and provide economic opportunity for all.”