State Sen. McClendon: ‘Little brushfires’ arose during redistricting but were dealt with; Anticipates legal challenges to new maps

On Thursday, Gov. Kay Ivey made it official and signed into law the redistricting bills passed by the legislature during a special session earlier last week.

Although reapportionment, which was the stated purpose of the special session, was overshadowed by legislative deliberations over a federal vaccine mandate, the typically controversial process when about as expected, according to State Sen. Jim McClendon (R-Springville), the co-chairman of the Alabama Legislature reapportionment committee.

During an appearance on Mobile radio FM Talk 106.5’s “The Jeff Poor Show,” McClendon explained how there were last-minute “brushfires,” but enacting significant changes could change the entire balance of the newly drawn maps.

“There were little brushfires that popped up here and there once the bills came out of the redistricting committee last week and became public,” he said. “I think some localities put some pressure on legislators to make some last-minute changes. If you’re looking at it from only your district, you really have no idea how this process works and how constrained it turns out we really are. We can’t just draw lines willy-nilly or any place we want to. We’ve got all kinds of court cases, regulations and guidelines.”

“We had several areas, there was one, maybe two down south — maybe a couple in the Senate, where locals wanted some changes made, put the pressure on their representatives, senators — as they should do,” McClendon continued. “We had some of those brushfires come up, but we got them dealt with.”

The St. Clair County Republican explained that it could impact the entire map if one change were made.

“I think of it as ripples in a pond,” he said. “You know, you throw that pebble in on this side. Eventually, there are waves that occur on the other side. And it can ricochet throughout the state when you make what seems to be a simple change.”

McClendon also indicated it was his expectation the final product would ultimately be adjudicated in a federal court.

“We make the assumption we’re going to be sued, and it’s going to go to court,” he added. “And you can make that assumption pretty comfortably based on historically how it has worked. Ten years ago, I did this in the House. We were sued. Now I’ve done it in the Senate. Probably going to get sued.”

@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of South Alabama, the editor of Breitbart TV, a columnist for Mobile’s Lagniappe Weekly, and host of Mobile’s “The Jeff Poor Show” from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on FM Talk 106.5.