House Republicans decline to move forward with redistricting, protesters and lawmakers voice opposition

ATLANTA (41NBC/WMGT) – Georgia lawmakers were expected to address redistricting at the state capitol on Wednesday, but that is no longer on the table.

House Speaker Jon Burns announced House Republicans will not take up congressional or legislative redistricting maps for the 2028 election cycle during the special session.

The special session was called by Governor Brian Kemp for lawmakers to consider new district maps for Congress and the state legislature.

However, before the session began, Burns sent a letter to the governor saying House Republicans would not move forward with redistricting.

Burns says changes to Georgia’s district maps should only happen when lawmakers and the public have time to gather facts, provide input, and take part in meaningful discussion.

“When the House learned that it was placed on the call for special session, we knew it was not the right path forward for our state at this time,” Burns said. “We believe that it is important to do the things the Georgia way.”

Before the decision, tensions were high inside the capitol, with protesters gathering to speak out against redistricting.

Macon-Bibb District 8 Commissioner Donice Bryant says she attended to represent people in her community who may not have been able to be there.

“As a representative for District 8 in Macon-Bibb, some of the people I’m sure couldn’t travel or may not have even known about why we were coming about the redistricting of the maps and the maps being redrawn but not in our favor,” Bryant said. “So I just wanted them to have a voice when I came up.”

State Representative Patty Stinson also shared her thoughts before the announcement, saying she did not see a need for new maps.

“These lines were fine,” she said. “There’s no need to redraw these lines. Just get the QR codes done and let’s go home so we all can go back to serving our constituents in our district.”

Following the announcement, some protesters said the decision reflects the impact of public pushback.

“What happened today is a direct reflection of when communities come together from Macon to Savannah to Buckhead,” Jamal Bryant said. “We pushed back against a system that thought it could suppress democracy.”

While redistricting will not be addressed during this special session, lawmakers did not rule out the possibility of revisiting the issue in the future.