BIG STORY: Groups preparing legal action over new congressional map

By Skyler Baldwin  |  The S.C. Senate on Thursday approved a new map for congressional districts that some advocacy groups and political leaders call “blatant gerrymandering,” leading many to predict federal legal challenges when districts become law.  Over the last few months, leaders in the General Assembly have reshaped S.C. House, Senate and congressional districts by drawing new lines to account for population shifts in the 2020 census. This reapportionment of district lines is required by the U.S. Constitution every 10 years after the census. How the lines are drawn has a huge impact on how the state is represented in Congress. On Thursday, senators approved a plan that would heavily favor Republicans in six of seven congressional districts, despite a Democratic proposal to have four GOP-leaning districts, one Democratic-leaning district and two competitive seats. “This is a method of election that’s nothing new,” former congressman and current S.C. gubernatorial candidate Joe Cunningham said at a Jan. 17 press conference. “It’s called gerrymandering....