The new map now goes to Republican Gov. Bill Lee, who called lawmakers into special session.
Tennessee is the first state to pass new congressional districts since a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last week that said districts cannot be created to favor only one race. More Southern states could follow. Republicans in Louisiana, Alabama and South Carolina also have taken steps toward redistricting.
The court ruled that Louisiana relied to heavily on race when creating a second black-majority House district as it attempted to comply with federal law. The high court's decision altered a decades-old practice that favored the creation of majority-black districts that voted almost exclusively for Democrats.
Louisiana has postponed its congressional primary to give time for state lawmakers to craft a new House map. Legislation awaiting a final vote in Alabama also would upend the state’s congressional primaries if courts allow the state to change its U.S. House districts. In South Carolina, meanwhile, Republican lawmakers urged on by Trump have taken initial steps to add congressional redistricting to their agenda.
