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Tennessee Republicans are moving quickly to redraw the state's congressional map after last week's U.S. Supreme Court ruling on voting rights
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And the proposal is already triggering protests and accusations of voter suppression
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New map would carve up Shelby County, including Memphis, into three separate districts, likely giving Republicans a clean sweep of all nine congressional seats, eliminating one held by Democrats
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State House Speaker Cameron Sexton defended the move on X, writing, the Supreme Court has opined that redistricting, like the judicial system, should be colorblind
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He added, Tennessee is joining other states in redrawing maps based on partisan politics
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Democrats and voting rights groups are blasting the effort as a political power grab targeting black voters
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Protesters flooded the state capitol this week. Police removed several demonstrators from hearings on Wednesday
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They will eliminate our representative if this goes through. They're trying to push through a white nationalist agenda on our city, and we are not going to have it
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The push comes after the Supreme Court weakened part of the Voting Rights Act in April
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opening the door for Republican-led states across the South to redraw congressional lines ahead of the midterms
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Tennessee lawmakers are likely to vote on and pass the new map later today
