The Daily Times

The Tennessee General Assembly has nearly finished statewide redistricting.

Both the state House and Senate have approved the new legislative district maps for the state, although there was a last-minute amendment that has required further housekeeping votes. The associated bills will ultimately await the signature of Gov. Bill Haslam, who is expected to sign them.

The most dramatic change will be that the 8th House District will now be solely with Blount County, said state Rep. Robert Ramsey, R-Maryville.

“The population of Blount County fell within the guidelines of the redistricting numbers so we could divide Blount County into the 20th and 8th House Districts. The 8th House District does not include Sevier County anymore. That’s pretty much the effect.”

The new maps will go into effect in the current election year. April 5 is the deadline for candidates seeking state and federal office to qualify for the 2012 elections.

State Rep. Art Swann, R-Maryville, represents the 8th House District. “Obviously, the way it stood before, I had a more rural district with the combination of Sevier and Blount. It will be a little more of a blend of rural and urban than it was. ... It’s probably almost a 50-50 rural and urban district. I don’t know that changes anything. You still represent people the same way.”

Senate district shrinks

State Sen. Doug Overbey, R-Maryville, said the 8th Senate District, which he represents, will shrink by about 20,000 residents.

“We are blessed in Sevier and Blount county that people find it an attractive area to come live, work, and raise a family,” he said. “The district had grown so much that it was 20 percent above the population rate for a Senate District. Unfortunately, that blessing of folks wanting to move and live here meant the district had to grow smaller. It looks like a small portion of the northeastern part of Sevier County will be in the district represented by state Sen. (Steve) Southerland.”

Overbey will continue to represent the section of Sevier County that contains the cities of Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg. “There continues to be a great deal of commonality of interest between Blount County and Sevier County, especially when it comes to economic development and tourism. With Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Townsend continuing to be in the same district, I will continue to be a strong voice for tourism.”

In 2010, Tennessee’s population was 6.3 million. According to information from the General Assembly, the ideal population for a Tennessee Senate district is 192,306 and for a Tennessee House district is 64,102.

According to 2010 U.S. Census, Tennessee’s population grew 11.5 percent, from 5.7 million to 6.3 million during the same decade. Overall, the U.S. residential population grew to 308.8 million, a change of 9.7 percent, from 2000 to 2010.

As required by law, the Census Bureau provides the population data so that state governments can redraw the boundaries of their U.S. congressional and state legislative districts. It is also used to determine how more than $400 billion in federal funds is distributed annually to communities across America.

You must be logged in to Facebook to comment. If you're not logged in to Facebook, a login window will open when you click "comment". Or you can log in now. You may need to refresh your page after logging in via that link.