The World According to Oatney

Bizarro-Senate World?

This morning, however, a rumor (and as of now we are treating it as that, a
rumor), or an as yet unsubstantiated suggestion came to this writer's inbox from
a fellow local conservative activist that all or part of Jefferson County could
be drawn out of the 4th Senate District, in which we are currently represented
by State Senator Mike Faulk (R-Kingsport). If there is any truth
at all to the idea that the current structure of the 4th Senate District may be
fiddled with at Jefferson County's expense, it begs the question: Where would
Jefferson County go? Would the county be split in two as part of the process of
redrawing lines to make either the 4th District or a neighboring district legal?
Such a situation is possible considering voting laws as they relate to
population, but wouldn't be desirable from the standpoint either of our current
State Senator or any Senator which might represent all or part of Jefferson
County in the future. It also seems far-fetched since district lines-especially
in the Senate-tend to follow county lines wherever that is legally possible.
Would all of Jefferson County move into the First Senate District, be split
between the 1st and 4th, or between the 1st, 4th, and 8th Districts? Drawing the
entire county into the currently-neighboring 8th Senate District seems like that
would be a stretch, since Sevier and Blount Counties are both more populous than
Jefferson County.

Labels: Conservatism, Elections, Local politics, Tennessee politics

posted by Deacon David Oatney @ 3:43 PM