Paris, Tenn.–If a proposed redistricting plan is approved by the Tennessee Legislature, the House of Representatives district lines in Henry, Carroll and Weakley Counties will drastically change.
A House of Representatives ad hoc committee has issued the proposed changes, which would split the districts in Henry and Carroll Counties.
Under the proposal, there would be no 75th District.
The realignment would split Henry County, which is presently District 75 and represented by State Rep. Bruce Griffey. (Griffey earlier announced he would not be seeking reelection as State Representative, but would instead be seeking the position of Circuit Court Judge).
Under the proposal, Henry County would be represented by 76th District Rep. Tandy Darby (R-Greenfield) and 74th District Rep. Jay Reedy (R-Erin).
Henry County Mayor John Penn Ridgeway is closely watching the proposal. He said it will not be acted upon by the House of Representatives until it returns to session January 11.
“I’ve been told this will be one of the first things voted on when they come back in session,” Ridgeway said. “What happened here is that Northwest Tennessee lost so much in population in the last census that we lost a whole seat.”
Right now, Carroll County is split into Districts 76 and 79 (represented by Rep. Darby and State Rep. Curtis Halford, R-Dyer, who is retiring from office).
Presently District 76 includes a portion of northern Carroll County, all of Weakley, and a portion of Obion.
The proposed redistricting proposal would redraw the lines to include all of Weakley, part of Henry, and the northern part of Carroll County.
District 79 now includes the southern portion of Carroll and all of Gibson County. The proposed district includes a portion of Gibson, Carroll and Henderson counties.