COLUMBIA (WACH, AP) -- South Carolina senators have given key approval for new district lines for 46 Senate seats.
The 33-0 vote Wednesday came with little debate after senators approved minor changes to the plan.
A final vote is expected Thursday.
Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell on Wednesday began explained how the Judiciary Committee redrew lines to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act.
Redistricting is required every 10 years so political boundaries are adjusted to Census population shifts.
"This subcommittee must create and submit to the full house judiciary committee a plan for how to draw the lines for the South Carolina House of Representatives, all 124 districts and the united states congress, including the new 7th district," said Representative Alan Clemmons of Horry County.
The American Civil Liberties Union proposed last week drawing those maps to create a new black majority district and protect a black voting majority in a second district.
But the Senate Judiciary Committee rejected those proposals. The plan the Senate would begin debating has nine black majority districts instead of the 11 the ACLU wanted.
The House approved a redistricting plan Tuesday for its 124 seats. It also approved plans for adding a new U.S. House district.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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