CHATTANOOGA (WRCB)-- There are plans that have some politicians and their supporters scrambling
across the volunteer state.
It's been a decade of change in Tennessee, as it is every 10 years.
There's a new party in charge, lines are being redrawn and political futures
are being formed and threatened.
The party in control redraws the lines, leaving the minority party to
object.
That's what's been going on in Nashville.
Middle Tennessee has grown. Local population has shifted. And, for the first
time, Republicans are in charge of the map.
"We spent about six months working on this process," 11th
District Representative, Bo Watson says. "I will tell you it's extremely
complex, it's extremely difficult and you don't make a lot of friends in the
process."
That's because the changes can effectively end some political careers.
Locally, under the new plan, a large portion of the 28th District
represented by Joanne Favors would be combined with Representative Tommie
Brown's 29th. Both have said they will let constituents decide who should
run.
There's also a big change in Senator Andy Berke's 10th District.
"It divides Hamilton County a different way than it has been in the past
and it also divides Bradley County, which previously has not been split
up," says Senator Berke.
He would lose democratic-leaning Marion County and in its place, half of the
more Republican voting Bradley County.
Though popular, the "D" after Senator Berke's name could put his
re-election in peril come November.
"I am in favor of non-partisan, independent redistricting," Berke
says. "That's not what we have."
The Republicans argue their process has been as transparent as possible.
"This is our map," Watson says. "We have gone to great lengths to draw it
as fair and legal as we possibly can."
Next, Republicans will release their plans to redraw congressional districts.
Big changes may be coming to District 5 in Nashville. Only time will tell
what that does to local district lines.
The redistricting measures will be taken up soon after the legislature
convenes January 12.
