The Alabama Senate has approved new legislative districts over the objections of black Democrats who said the plan was gerrymandered to maintain GOP control of the state's largest county.
Senators on Thursday approved the new districts in a 25-7 party line vote after Democrats used procedural tactics to delay a vote for several hours.
Federal judges ordered Alabama to redraw legislative districts after ruling legislators improperly made race a predominant factor when drawing lines.
Senator Gerald Dial said the proposed plan corrects the problems found by the court. Birmingham Senator Rodger Smitherman said the plan has "smidgens of Jim Crow" because Republicans would maintain control of Jefferson County, home to the majority black city of Birmingham.
