ATLANTA — A fiery exchange between two Georgia lawmakers ended with one calling Georgia State Capitol Police. It happened Wednesday at a Georgia House Governmental Affairs committee meeting between Chair Darlene Taylor (R-Thomasville) and State Rep. David Wilkerson (D-Powder Springs).
Wilkerson claimed Republicans did not consult Democratic or minority legislators in Cobb County when drawing district maps.
"I'm just disgusted at this chamber," Wilkerson said, before Taylor told him to be careful and yield the floor.
When Wilkerson refused to leave, his mic was cut off and Taylor told someone to call security. Wilkerson told 11Alive he was not escorted from the premises or arrested. Previously, current Congresswoman Nikema Williams (D-Georgia) and Rep. Park Cannon (D-Atlanta) were both arrested at the Capitol.
"They were just doing their jobs," Wilkerson said. "For [Taylor] to call the police, I’m getting calls from friends and people concerned, saying are you hurt or scared? I’m not scared. I’m just here to do a job.”
11Alive reached out to Taylor for comment but did not hear back. The backdrop of the exchange involved redistricting in Cobb County. Georgia legislators are currently drawing up maps that will affect which voters elect county commissioners and school board members. Wilkerson said Republicans, currently in control of the Georgia house and the redistricting process, were not listening to Cobb County's Democratic delegation when trying to draw the maps.
"This year, all of the local bills have been passing by local delegations, except for Cobb and Gwinnett," Wilkerson said. “Normally that’s a process where you get with your delegation, you would decide how to handle it, because Cobb County knows Cobb County best. We typically don’t bring in people from Ellijay or Bulloch County or wherever to try and draw maps for Cobb County.
"Voters should pick their elected officials. Elected officials should not pick their voters. In this case, it's clearly trying to disenfranchise African-Americans in Cobb County by ignoring them through the process." He said.
Rep. Ed Setzler (R-Acworth) fired back, saying maps proposed by the Democratic delegation would have given them a total advantage on the county commission and school board. He said maps backed by Republicans are fair in showing the changing demographics of the county.
"There's been a lot of partisan wrangling going on by the minority party, a lot of accusations being cast around that sadly doesn't comport with the reality that there's been substantial, fair, thoughtful work put into our county and school board maps," Setzler said. "There is not a majority in the Cobb County legislative delegation of Democrats. They don’t have the ability through the local legislative process to pass map through the legislature, and they know that.”
Census data shows the white population in Cobb County at 51-percent, down nine-percent from 2010. Meanwhile, minority populations have seen double-digit growth in that same time period.
Rep. Teri Anulewicz (D-Smyrna) represents parts of Cobb County, and she said the GOP is trying to generalize what should be a local issue.
"They have seen this change happen relatively quickly," Anulewicz said. "I frankly think they're operating out of a place of fear, fear of losing power and fear of losing influence."
The redistricting process playing out right now will apply to this year's election cycle. Speaker of the House David Ralston says time is of the essence. He wants these new maps redrawn with enough time for election officials locally to be able to update their voter registration system. Setzler said he expected the maps to be complete and given to the senate for consideration by next week, with the governor signing off on them soon after.