Statement of Governor Sonny Perdue Regarding Supreme Court Ruling on Georgia v. Ashcroft

Atlanta - Governor Sonny Perdue issued the following statement this afternoon regarding the United States Supreme Court's ruling on Georgia v. Ashcroft:

"Today, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in the redistricting case Georgia v. Ashcroft. This administration remains steadfast in its conviction that the guiding principles for redistricting in Georgia should be higher than the permissive tests announced today by the Supreme Court.

"We should not be in a position where we are asking if we have gone too far in reducing African-American voting strength. Our hope is that we do not ever come close to exploiting the permissive standards the Supreme Court has just announced. We should stay very far from the outer perimeters that are allowed by this ruling. Instead, we should continue to move towards maps that comply with principles of redistricting that keep communities of interest together regardless of race and regardless of party interests."