South Carolina House Advances Republican-Backed Congressional Redistricting Plan
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Republicans in the South Carolina House have endorsed a congressional redistricting plan that aims to reshape the state's only Democratic-held U.S. House district. The bill, which passed after a 14-hour session, now moves to the state Senate for consideration. If enacted, it would delay U.S. House primaries and incur at least $3 million in costs for another statewide election.
Facts First
- South Carolina House Republicans endorsed a redistricting plan after a 14-hour session ending early Tuesday.
- The plan aims to reshape the state's only Democratic-held U.S. House district to benefit Republicans.
- The bill now moves to the state Senate for consideration.
- If enacted, the proposal would delay U.S. House primaries to later in the summer and cost at least $3 million.
- Democratic U.S. Representative Jim Clyburn intends to run for an 18th term regardless of district changes.
What Happened
Republicans in the South Carolina House endorsed a congressional redistricting plan just after midnight on Tuesday, following a 14-hour session. The plan aims to reshape South Carolina's only Democratic-held U.S. House district. Four Republicans voted against the bill. The session included over three hours of reading the bill and Census data used for the maps. The Republican-controlled House changed rules for the debate to limit members to one amendment and set speech time limits. The House rejected proposals regarding voter education for moving primaries, state payment of local costs for rescheduled primaries, and moving the general election back two weeks. Democratic state Representative Jermaine Johnson, a candidate for governor, spoke for 10 minutes during the debate.
Why this Matters to You
If you are a voter in South Carolina, your congressional primary election may be moved from June to August, which could disrupt your voting plans. Some absentee and overseas military votes already cast for Congress would be discarded under the proposal, which may affect your vote if you cast one early. The state would incur at least $3 million in costs for another statewide election, which is funded by taxpayer money. The outcome of this redistricting could change who represents you in the U.S. House of Representatives. Nationally, this effort is part of a broader trend in several states that may significantly alter the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives.
What's Next
The bill is moving to the South Carolina state Senate for consideration. If the proposal becomes law, South Carolina would delay U.S. House primaries until later in the summer. Early primary voting in South Carolina is currently scheduled to start on May 26, but this timeline may be affected. The legislation proposes removing U.S. House races from June primaries and holding a special primary election in August. Similar processes are underway in other states; Alabama is planning to void results in four of its seven U.S. House districts and hold special primaries on August 11 under new boundaries, and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry postponed congressional primaries until later in the summer.