Tennessee approves new congressional map in latest redistricting flurry

Republicans pass new map ahead of midterms after US Supreme Court weakened Voting Rights Act restrictions.Tennessee’s Republican-dominated state legislature and governor have approved a new congressional map ahead of the US midterms, carving up the state’s only Black majority district.The approval on Thursday culminated the latest push in states across the country to redistrict ahead of the US midterms in November, which will determine which party controls the US House of Representatives and Senate.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Has the US Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act – and how?list 2 of 3Trump says Tennessee next to redistrict after US Voting Rights Act rulinglist 3 of 3Alabama lawmakers adjourn after protests over redistrictingend of listWhile redistricting typically happens following the US census every ten years, several state legislatures have sought to redraw their congressional maps mid-decade to create more districts that favour their party.The spree began with US President Donald Trump calling on the Republican-controlled legislature in Texas to redraw its map to create five more Republican-favoured US House Districts. Republican and Democratic-controlled legislatures in Missouri, California, Utah, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia and Texas have since followed suit.The campaign was kicked into overdrive when the US Supreme Court ruled last week that a provision of the landmark 1973 Voting Rights Act, which prevented diluting the voting power of minorities, was unconstitutional.Under the ruling, challengers must now prove that a map had been drawn to intentionally disenfranchise minority voters, a bar that voting rights groups charge is nearly impossible to clear.The new Tennessee map splits the state’s only Democrat-held House district, which centres on the majority-Black city of Memphis. Black voters in the US have historically leaned heavily towards the Democratic Party.