South Carolina lawmakers begin debate on congressional map redrawing

South Carolina lawmakers are set to begin a detailed debate Monday on a proposal to redraw the state's congressional districts, a process that could potentially result in Republicans winning all seven U.S. House seats from the state. The discussion follows similar contentious redistricting efforts in Tennessee, Alabama, and Louisiana, driven by a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that reduced protections for minority voting districts under the Voting Rights Act.

This ruling has enabled Republicans in several states to alter districts with significant Black populations, which have historically elected Democrats. In South Carolina, the focus is on the district represented by Congressman Jim Clyburn, the sole Democrat among the state's seven House members. Clyburn stated he will not retire even if his district boundaries change, noting he maintains residences in Columbia, Charleston, and Santee. He told reporters last week he lives in three districts and will decide which one to run in. He characterized the redistricting effort as not about voting but about turning the clock back to Jim Crow 2.0.

The state's Republican Governor, Henry McMaster, called the legislature into a special...