Tennessee Republicans unveiled a new congressional map that would likely eliminate the state’s only Democrat-held district, creating a 9-0 GOP advantage.

The proposed map must still be approved by the legislature.

“The Supreme Court has opined that redistricting, like the judicial system, should be color-blind. The decision indicated states can redistrict based off partisan politics,” Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton said.

“Today, Tennessee joins other red and blue states in redrawing their congressional maps,” he added.

NBC News shared further:

The suite of legislation Sexton and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson filed Wednesday also seeks to change a state law that only allows lawmakers to enact new district maps once each decade.

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Sexton and Johnson said in a joint statement they expected both chambers, where Republicans have sizable majorities, to hold floor votes on the proposal on Thursday.

Tennessee’s primaries are scheduled to take place Aug. 6.

The proposed map means the Memphis metro area— home to more than 1 million people — could be split into three difference districts.

“No single representative would have an incentive to show attention to the issues and concerns with people who live there,” said Kareem Crayton, vice president of the Brennan Center for Justice’s Washington, D.C., office, particularly since the map is designed to elect Republicans and Memphis is a stronghold for Democratic voters.

He added that Tennessee has three distinct regions, represented by three stars on the state’s flag. The proposed congressional map crosses these historically and geographically distinct regions, tying voters from different media markets and time zones together.

“The Congressional Redistricting Committee will meet at 1:30pm to begin discussion. The House will reconvene tomorrow morning at 9am,” Tennessee Stands commented.

WKRN noted:

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) released the proposed map Wednesday morning, just as the Tennessee House of Representatives was set to gavel in for their second floor session of the special legislative session.

“Tennessee is a conservative state and our congressional delegation should reflect that,” Sen. Jon Stevens (R-Huntingdon) said. “This bill ensures it does.”

Republican lawmakers said the corresponding legislation for the proposed map “modernizes Tennessee’s redistricting process by removing racial data from the mapmaking process entirely,” and acknowledged it was a “direct response” to the recent Louisiana v. Callais and Alexander v. South Carolina NAACP Supreme Court decisions, saying those decisions “confirm the state can put its lawful, conservative policy goals at the forefront.”

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