House Redistricting Map Sorta Released

The Ad Hoc Committee on redistricting, led by Rep. Steve McDaniel, held a meeting this morning in which they released some details about the proposed redistricting map for the Tennessee House of Representatives.  Unfortunately, they have yet to release a detailed map with streets to the general public because, as McDaniel said, "it takes time," and the map they handed out makes it difficult to determine where exactly the lines are in Davidson and Shelby counties.

What we do know is that Reps. Stewart and Jones will be shoved into a district together, pairing up Nashville's arguably two most liberal representatives into one district.

Rep. Jim Gotto's 60th district is a whole lot whiter (and likely safer) going from 65% white to 80% white in the redistricting model.

Rep. Mike Turner's district will snake through East Nashville and into downtown, giving him a much more diverse district to run in, from 91.5% white to 68%.

Pruitt's 58th District will become even more heavily African-American, going from a 39/55 split to 31/63, replacing the 54th as the most heavily black district in Davidson county. 

Finally, an incumbentless district will by created, 59, that will have 35% African-American, 21% Hispanic, and 48% White populations.  According to Chair McDaniel, this is the first ever "combination' district.  The map I have seen isn't quite clear on exactly where the lines are, though it would seem to include Antioch and other parts of Southeastern Nashville.  This will set up an interesting race in the next few months.  Ostensibly, given the demographics, this should be a Democratic seat, though a Duane Dominy or some other Republican council-member (assuming he's in this district) could foreseeably pick it up if Democrats don't recruit a good candidate for this seat. 

The House will be voting on this map soon in what is likely to be a formality vote, and the State Senate and Congressional Maps will be released at a later date according to Harwell and McDaniel.

I don't know enough about redistricting to say if this is a good or fair map, obviously it screws Democrats pretty heavily, but that isn't necessarily illegal...no indication whether or not this can be challenged in the courts.  Assuming it is upheld, it makes it hard to see how Democrats hold their current number of seats, let alone make pickups in 2012...though anything is possible.

Update:

The House has released some more maps.  Here is the statewide, and here is Davidson County.