Race Has Many Uses

Because North Carolina redistricting is covered by federal statute for past racial discrimination (which is obviously still quite alive and active in the Old North State), the new Republican majority in the NC General Assembly are required to first release their plan for "minority" districts under the Voting Rights Act of 1965 ("VRA districts").

Those maps started rolling out yesterday, and it became abundantly clear that under cover of creating more black voting districts, the Republican majority was actually "packing" those districts with as many gerrymandered Democrats as possible in order to weaken other Democrats and strengthen the reelection prospects of their own sainted crew.

Duh.

At least three of the Democrats thus targeted are all strong women. Linda Garrou (D-Forsyth) has been drawn completely out of her NC Senate district. Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guildford) and Rep. Maggie Jeffus (D-Guildford) have been put into the same district. (Laura Leslie's coverage for WRAL.)

On the bright side, two of the Five Goobers from Demsville, Rep. William Brisson and Rep. Dewey Hill, have apparently had their political bases jerked away from them via the same VRA districts. That's what pal-ing around with Republicans will get you. (Fayetteville Observer has that story and also delves into the whole issue of "packing" minority districts to the detriment of adjoining districts.)