CNN: North Carolina GOP-controlled legislature approves congressional map
11.4.2021 / By Kelly Mena
CNN: North Carolina GOP-controlled legislature approves congressional map
(CNN)North Carolina’s GOP-controlled state legislature on Thursday approved the state’s new congressional maps, which have boundaries likely to give Republicans an advantage there for the next decade.
The state gained a 14th congressional seat after the 2020 census. Ten of the 14 seats will lean Republican, according to the non-partisan Princeton Gerrymandering Project. Republicans currently hold eight of 13 seats.
In North Carolina, the legislature is responsible for redistricting, and it doesn’t need approval from the governor for the maps to become law. That means Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is unable to veto the maps. …
But the maps were immediately met with backlash from voting rights advocates, who claimed they were gerrymandered and a partisan power grab. …
“We are troubled that these districts would especially hurt Black voters, harmfully split communities and undermine the freedom of North Carolinians to have a voice in choosing their representatives,” said Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina.