• Home
  • Metro Asian News
  • Misc Asia
  • Lifestyle
  • Business
  • Art
  • Health
  • Eat Out
  • Events
  • Podcasts
ABOUT
Advertise in GAT
Contact us
Wednesday, May 31, 2023
Georgia Asian Times
International Insurance of Georgia
  • Home
  • Metro Asian News
  • Misc Asia
  • Lifestyle
  • Business
  • Art
  • Health
  • Eat Out
  • Events
  • Podcasts
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Metro Asian News
  • Misc Asia
  • Lifestyle
  • Business
  • Art
  • Health
  • Eat Out
  • Events
  • Podcasts
No Result
View All Result
Georgia Asian Times
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Metro Asian News
  • Misc Asia
  • Lifestyle
  • Business
  • Art
  • Health
  • Eat Out
  • Events
  • Podcasts
Home Metro Asian News

Senate GOP advances Gwinnett County commission overhaul

The Senate State and Local Governmental Operations Committee voted 4-3 along party lines for Senate Bill 6EX, which would add five new members to the all-Democratic Gwinnett County Commission and draw new district lines for elections beginning next year.

Georgia Asian Times by Georgia Asian Times
November 12, 2021
in Metro Asian News
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Atlanta, Nov 12, 2021 — Republicans pushed a proposal to overhaul the county commission in Georgia’s second most-populous county through a state Senate committee on Thursday, a day after the same panel approved changes to Gwinnett County’s school board.

The Senate State and Local Governmental Operations Committee voted 4-3 along party lines for Senate Bill 6EX, which would add five new members to the all-Democratic Gwinnett County Commission and draw new district lines for elections beginning next year. Senate Bill 5EX, approved Wednesday, would change elections from the county school board from partisan to nonpartisan and redraw school district lines.

Both measures move to the full Senate for more debate.

Republicans say both measures will improve governance, while Democrats say they’re a Republican power grab after GOP candidates lost their longstanding majorities on both bodies in Gwinnett, as Democratic-aligned nonwhite voters have taken power in the Atlanta suburb of nearly 1 million people.

AD: High Museum of Atlanta AD: High Museum of Atlanta

The bills are advancing even as Democrats dispute whether it’s proper for the General Assembly to be considering them at all. Sen. Clint Dixon, a Buford Republican sponsoring the measures, said he advertised the measures as local bills, but they were instead introduced as a general bill, meaning Dixon didn’t need signatures from a majority of Gwinnett’s seven senators to proceed. All of the county’s senators except Dixon are Democrats.

Because lawmakers are meeting in special session, Gov. Brian Kemp has excluded most general bills from what lawmakers may consider. But Dixon, a floor leader for Kemp, says that if the bills pass, they will qualify under an exclusion where Kemp said local laws can be considered “to avoid unreasonable hardship or avoid undue impairment of public functions.” Dixon argues that because candidates would have to qualify for new districts in March, lawmakers have to move ahead now to give them and the county time to plan.

That means senators will describe the same measures as general bills and local bills.

Democrats reject that Republicans can properly proceed on that basis. Rep. Sam Park, a Lawrenceville Democrat who heads the Gwinnett House delegation, told the Senate committee it was proceeding “illegally.”

“To characterize this as general legislation when clearly both of these bills amend local legislation does not allow you to bypass Senate rules,” Park said.

The procedural dispute threatens to engulf the merits of the question. Republicans argued Thursday that the county’s growth means the four part-time district commissioners have far too many people in their district to represent them effectively. Rep. Chuck Efstration, a Dacula Republican, told the committee Thursday that expanding the commission has been repeatedly debated, with Democrats previously sponsoring such measures. He rejected claims that his changes would violate the federal Voting Rights Act by discriminating against nonwhite voters.

“Any argument that there’s some illegal basis for doing this now is completely untrue and is really unfair to the folks who have been working in support of this issue for many years,” Efstration said.

But opponents questioned why Efstration was moving ahead after Democrats, including four Black members and one Asian-American member, swept to power in 2020.

“The fact that this bill seeks to reconstitute a historic board of commissioners governed by members of color, and that this bill precisely and uniquely targets one of the most diverse counties in the state all indicate that race was a driving factor,” said Pichaya Poy Winichakul, a voting rights attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center. – AP

 

Tags: Gwinnett Board of CommissionersGwinnett CountyGwinnett County Public SchoolsSenate bill 5EXSenate bill 6EX
Previous Post

Myanmar court sentences US journalist to 11 years in jail

Next Post

Gwinnett Board of Commissioners united against GOP Senate 5EX and 6EX redistricting bills

Georgia Asian Times

Georgia Asian Times

Related Posts

Georgia AAPI Hub celebrates Census successful AAPI community partnership
Metro Asian News

Georgia AAPI Hub celebrates Census successful AAPI community partnership

May 23, 2023
First ever St Jude Dream Home in Georgia ready for its fundraising drive
Metro Asian News

Tickets for first ever Atlanta St. Jude Dream Home are fast selling out

May 18, 2023
Georgia’s oldest Chinese civic organization and first ever AAPI organization to receive historical marker from Georgia Historical Society
Metro Asian News

Georgia’s oldest Chinese civic organization and first ever AAPI organization to receive historical marker from Georgia Historical Society

May 17, 2023
UGA football star player under fire for racism slur towards Asian during NFL Draft live streaming
Metro Asian News

UGA football player apologize for his Asian slur

May 12, 2023
First ever St Jude Dream Home in Georgia ready for its fundraising drive
Metro Asian News

First ever St Jude Dream Home in Georgia ready for its fundraising drive

May 9, 2023
Inaugural GAT AAPI Summit draws engagements & participations
Metro Asian News

Inaugural GAT AAPI Summit draws engagements & participations

May 8, 2023
Next Post

Gwinnett Board of Commissioners united against GOP Senate 5EX and 6EX redistricting bills

Signup Free E-Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Jul 14
6:00 pm - 10:30 pm

GAT 25 Most Influential Asian Americans in Georgia 2023

View Calendar
Logo

 

CONTACT US

Follow Us

MOST INFLUENTIAL

2023 GAT 25 Most Influential Asian American Pacific Islanders in Georgia

2023 GAT 25 Most Influential Asian American Pacific Islanders in Georgia

April 30, 2023
GAT 25 Most Influential Asian Americans Gala celebrates Asian voice

GAT 25 Most Influential Asian Americans Gala celebrates Asian voice

July 18, 2022

Video highlights of GAT 25 Most Influential Asian Americans in Georgia

July 17, 2022

LINKS OF INTEREST

ATL Asian Film Festival

     

GAT AAPI SUMMIT 2023

  • Contact Us
  • Advertise in GAT
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

© 2023 Georgia Asian Times - Empowered by 8SOL. Managed by Arckopolis.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Metro Asian News
  • Misc Asia
  • Lifestyle
  • Business
  • Art
  • Health
  • Eat Out
  • Events
  • Podcasts

© 2023 Georgia Asian Times - Empowered by 8SOL. Managed by Arckopolis.

Welcome Back!

Sign In with Google
OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Early Bird (May 19-31, 2023)

  • Honoree

    $225.00
    Select
  • Single Seat

    $225.00
    Select
  • Table of 8

    $1,800.00
    Select

Subscribe

Stay ahead of the curve with Georgia Asian Times’ exclusive newsletter. Get the hottest news stories and cultural insights delivered straight to your inbox. No subscription fees, just pure Asian excellence

 

    Loading
    Loading
    Loading
    Loading
    Loading
    Register for FREE to read the rest of this article, or log in to your account.

      Or Login Here :

      [loginfrm]

      Are you sure want to unlock this post?
      Unlock left : 0
      Are you sure want to cancel subscription?