The Department of Justice on Friday delivered Georgia Republicans a major victory when it signed off on the state’s plan to redraw political boundaries, delivering the GOP a win but also denying it the chance to strike down the Voting Rights Act

….Republicans, who pushed through the new maps over Democratic objections during a special August legislative session, had simultaneously submitted its plan to the Justice Department for preclearance and sued the DOJ in federal court. Had the Justice Department rejected its maps, the state would have moved forward with its lawsuit.

Republicans had said publicly that they saw the court case as an avenue toward a declaration that the Voting Rights Act was unconstitutional. With the DOJ’s approval of its redistricting plan, however, that now seems moot.

and this: The new maps approved by state lawmakers in August increases to 14 the number of congressional districts in Georgia, reflecting the state’s population growth in the 2010 census. It also could boost the state GOP margin in the U.S. House to 10-4, up from the current 8-5 advantage.

New maps approved for the state’s 180 House districts and 56 Senate districts show that Republicans could achieve two-thirds majorities in both chambers in November 2012 — enough to pass constitutional amendments without Democratic interference.

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